RE: The Symmetry and complexity of elections

I note again- an election method must work on the votes cast (not some added or removed votes). Apparently Prof. Saari and other journal writers are unaware (to be mildly generous) about such elementary common sense principle (related to starting conditions in any scientific method

Re: [EM] Economist article

Oops, I guessed wrong -- sorry David. It wasn't the Economist after all. The Saari critique appeared in Public Choice 59 (November 1988), pp. 121-131, 149; the authors were Brams, Fishburn, and Merrill. There may have been a complimentary article by Saari in the same issue. Bart David

Re: [EM] Method definitions

Dear Mike, Condorcet writes ("Sur les Elections," Journal d'Instruction Sociale, vol. 1, p. 25-32, 1793): Mais il n'est pas necessaire que chacun fasse toutes ces comparaisons, compose une liste complette; il peut en regarder un certain nombre comme egaux entr'eux, soit qu'il les juge tels

Re: [EM] The Symmetry and complexity of elections

This is a great analysis. In fairness to Saari, though, he is pointing out a small, but legitimate problem. We may be better off grudgingly conceding that point, since voter cycles are the bane of any electoral reformer's existence. It's not theoretically obvious why they would exist in the