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Re: current A.6 draft [examples]



Raul Miller wrote:

It's not fair to base an argument on an axiom which is known to be false.

On Sun, Dec 08, 2002 at 04:45:07PM +1000, Anthony Towns wrote:
It doesn't matter whether the axiom is false as written: it's trivial
to salvage its intended meaning (by either dropping quorum requirements,
or qualifying the axiom to apply only when the quorum requirements have
already been met for all the options listed).

I can accept, with that clause added, the axiom that the option ranked
first must win the election.
Quorum requirements was not intended to be in the scope of my argument. I didn't mention quorum requirements, but I should of mentioned explicitally that they were out of its scope. The argument deals with a set of votes, a set of options with optional supermajority requirements, one of which may optionally be the default option. It doesn't deal with quorum requirements, supression of free speech, violence, vote rigging or anything else that may effect the democraticness of a method. Admitidly, it was reasonable to assume quorum requirements to be part of the arguments scope, but I did not intend that.

I am uncomfortable this for the axiom that the option ranked last must
lose.  It's just too arbitrary.  For example, consider also a ballot with
only one option (not that our current system allows this).  The resulting
statement is rather akward to accept as being true without proof.

Myself wrote:
> Minority Loses Axiom - "In a non-supermajority election, if there are options A and B, and option B is solely ranked last on a majority of votes, then if option B must not win."

Note the minimum inclusion of two options A and B for 'majority loses' axiom to have an effect. These are intended to be two different options.

Personally, I'm more unconfortable the idea of an option not losing when a majority of votes rank it last and there are other non-supermajority options. But which is more unconfortable is for debate.

--------------------------------

In any case, later on I'll define another criteria in my opinion an election system should follow, and will attempt to prove that CCSSD (and newly defined DPCCSSD) does follow and the Dec 7 draft does not. This criteria 'Consistancy', is basically that if an option wins when it is not the default option, it should win when it is the default option.

---

Firstly, I'm going to define "Default Protection CCSSD", which I will call DPCCSSD. Its the same as my old CCSSD, except for rule 9.

Plain CCSSD is defined at http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2002/debian-vote-200212/msg00020.html.

Its all leading up to another proof, I'll get there...

---

Definition of "Default Protection Considered Clone-Proof Schwartz Sequential Dropping" (DPCCSSD).

(1) A defeats B if more votes prefer A over B than B prefer over A.
(2) A challenges B if more than or an equal number of votes prefer A over B than prefer B over A.

(3) A defeats B by X, where X is equal to the number of votes that prefer A over B, if A defeats B.

(4) A superchalleges B, where A has a supermajority requirement of (X:Y) if the number of votes that prefer A over B multiplied by Y is greater than or equal to the number of votes that prefer B over A multiplied by X.

(5) A is considered if A superchallenges all options with supermajority requirements less than A. (6) A is considered if A challenges B, where B has supermajority requirements greater than or equal to A.

(7) A has a beatpath to B of strength X, if A and B are considered and A defeats B by X, or if A, B and C are considered and A defeats C by Y and C has a beatpath to B of strength Z, where X is equal to the minimum of Y and Z.

(8) A has a beatpath to B of strength 0 if there is no non-zero X such that A has a beatpath to B of strength X

(9a) A has a beatpath win to B if A and B are both not default options and the largest X such that A has a beatpath to B of X is greater than the largest Y such that B has a beatpath to A of Y.

(9b) A has a beatpath win to B if A is the default option, and there is a non-zero X such that A has a beatpath to B of strength X.

(9c) A has a beatpath win to B if B is the default option, and there is non-zero X such that A has a beatpath to B of X, and there is no non-zero Y such that B has a beatpath to A of Y.

(10) A is a finalist if A is considered and there is no B such that B has a beatpath win to A.

(11) A is a winner if A is a finalist and there is no B such that the casting vote prefers B over A.

Consistancy Criteria - "If election X and election Y have identical votes and supermajority requirements, and election X has a default option of A, and election Y has a default option of B, and B is the winner of election X, then B must be the winner of election Y."

---

Consider this election, with no supermajority requirements.

4 CBA
3 BAC
2 ACB

B defeats A 7:2
C defeats B 6:3
A defeats C 5:4

---

Default option A.

-

Dec 7 Draft: Drop weakest non default defeat (C > B)
B > A > C

Dec 7 Draft: B wins.

-

CCSSD:

All considered.

Strongest beatpath A to B = 5:4
Strongest beatpath B to A = 7:2

Beatpath win from B to A.

Strongest beatpath A to C = 5:4
Strongest beatpath C to A = 6:3

Beatpath win from C to A.

Strongest beatpath B to C = 5:4
Strongest beatpath C to B = 6:3

Beatpath win from C to B.

C has no beatpath win against it.

C wins.

CCSSD: C wins.

(note this result is the same as plain CSSD).

-

DPCCSSD:

All considered.

A has a Beatpath Win to B (since A is default and has a beatpath to B).
A has a Beatpath Win to C (since A is default and has a beatpath to B).

DPCCSSD: A wins.

-

Summary

A Default

Draft: B Wins.
CCSSD: C Wins.
DPCCSSD: A Wins.

--

B Default.

-

Draft:

Drop weakest non default defeat (A > C)

C > B > A

Draft: C Wins.

-

CCSSD: C Wins.

-

DPCCSSD: B Wins.

---

All results, summerised.

Method | Default A | Default B |
---------|-----------|-----------|
Draft: | B Wins | C Wins |
CCSSD: | C Wins | C Wins |
DPCCSSD: | A Wins | B Wins |
----------------------------------

---

Consistancy Criteria means that immediately re-running an election with the default option of the previous winner never produces a different result, and also that being the default option never negatively affects and options chances of winning an election. The current draft proposal, in some cases, (such as above) disadvantages the default option, which I will assume not the aim of protecting supermajority defeats.

--

Now, the proof.

Consistancy Axiom: "If a method fails Consistancy Criteria, it is not consistant, otherwise it is consistant."

Consistancy Criteria: "If election X and election Y have identical votes and supermajority requirements, and election X has a default option of A, and election Y has a default option of B, and B is the winner of election X, then B must be the winner of election Y."

Ties are out of this proofs scope.

-

Draft method.

Consider the election with votes below and no supermajority requirements.

4 CBA
3 BAC
2 ACB

Let X be the election above with default option A, and Y be the election above with default option B.

Since,
Election X and election Y have identical votes and supermajority requirements,
Election X has the default option of A.
Election Y has the default option of B.
B is the winner of election X.

Therefore, for draft method to be consistant, B must be the winner of election Y.
However, C is the winner of election Y, according to the draft method.

Therefore, draft method is not consistant.

-

CCSSD:

The result of an election is independent of the default option. (As the default option is not mentioned in the CCSSD definition).

Let election X and election Y be elections that only differ by their default option.

Let election X have a default option of A, and election Y have a default option of B.

Since results are independent of the default option, election X and election Y produce the same winner.

Let the winner of election X and election Y be either A, B or C.

If the winner is B,
Election X has a default option A,
Election Y has a default option B,
B is the winner of election X.
Therefore B must be the winner of election Y.

Which is true.

Therefore, method is consistant for winner B.

Similarly consistant for winner A (swap A with B, X with Y when subbing into consistancy criteria definition).

If C is the winner, there are no consistancy criteria to pass, as consistancy criteria only deals with default option winners, and C is not a default option of either election.

Therefore, consistant for C as winner.

Therefore, consistant for all winners.

Hence, CCSSD is consistant.

---

DPCCSSD:

Let election X and election Y be elections that only differ by their default option.

Let election X have a default option of A, and election Y have a default option of B.

Without loss of generality, assume election X produces the winner B or C.

Without loss of generality, assume that if election X produces the winner C, then election Y produces the winner C or D.

(Both the 'Without loss of generality' I'm sure are true, basically taking any other conditions is just swaping letters around. It will take a while to prove it though, try to find a counter example, and you should find all counter examples just involve swaping letters and doing different subsitutions.)

Since C and D are not default options, if election X produces the winner C, DPCCSSD is consistant. (Non default winners are not in the consistancy definitions scope).

Since election X produces the winner B, in election X, B must have a beatpath win to all other options, and therefore, B must have a non-zero strength beatpath to all other options.

Beatpaths are uneffected by default options.

Therefore, in election Y, B must have a non-zero strength beatpath to all other options.

By DPCCSSD rule (9b), B must have a beatpath win to all options in election Y.

Therefore no options have a beatpath win to B.

Therefore, B is the winner of election Y (rule 10 and 11).

Since

Election X has default option A,
Election Y has default option B,
B winner of election X

Therefore

For DPCCSSD to be consistant, B must be the winner of election Y.

Which it true.

Therefore DPCCSSD is consistant with B the winner of the election X.

Hence, due to without loss of generality assumptions, DPCCSSD is consistant.

---

Summary.

Draft is not consistant.
CCSSD is consistant.
DPCCSSD is consistant.

---

Back into opinion.

The problem with the current draft method is that it resolves defeats in favor of the default option. In many cases, this is determental to the default option. At least CCSSD never penalises the default option, and DPCCSSD resolves all cycles in favor of the default option. This provides real protection for the default option, as it can not be defeated in a cycle due to a particular arrangement of strengths of defeats. I've been getting the vibe from most people that a preferred method would favour the default option, however in some cases draft seems to discourage a default option win.

I've proven that the draft causes options which recieve a majority of last preferences can be selected ahead of non-supermajority options, and above I've attempted to prove the draft method is inconsistant. Assume that proof is reasonably sound, what property or results does the draft method have over CCSSD and DPCCSSD? The only thing I've heard bad about CCSSD is this result.

Raul Miller wrote:

The ballot has options A, B and F, A has a supermajority requirement
of 3:1, B has a 1:1 majority requirement and F is the default option.

       60 voters vote ABF
       40 voters vote BAF
       10 voters vote F

B defeats F by 100 (100:10)
A defeats F by 100 (100:10)
A defeats B by 60  (60:40)

CCSSD produces B as the winner, Draft method produces A as the winner.


If you insist on A as the winner, which I think is not ideal in my opinion, its easy to change the definition slightly.

Create "I Don't Like This Version Of Default Protection Considered Clone-Proof Schwartz Sequential Dropping" (IDLTVODPCCSSD)

By changing rule (5) to this.

(5) A is considered if it has no supermajority requirement, or superchallenges the default option.

The result of the above election would be A.

On a unrelated note, you can change rule (6) from
(6) A is considered if A challenges B, where B has supermajority requirements greater than or equal to A.
to
(6) A is considered if A superchallenges B, where B has supermajority requirements greater than or equal to A.

If that tickles your fancy. However, deleting rule (6) will violate consistancy (as an option not considered due to the absense of 6 could be considered by (5) in a recount with a changed default option.)

Changing rule (6) will not effect any of my two proofs, changing rule (5) will violate consistancy (as different options would be considered dependent on the default option). This is why I don't like the above version of IDLTVODPCCSSD, but at least this method only violates consistancy when different considered options result (that is, when there are supermajorities), unlike the current proposal which violates consistancy when there are not supermajority options. It also does not grant wins to options which recieve a majority of last preference votes when there are other non-supermajority options. Personally, I like DPCCSSD better that IDLTVODPCCSSD, but even IDLTVODPCCSSD seems to be better than the draft, except for its name.

------------------

Now I ask the question, what properties does the draft method which are better than CCSSD, DPCCSSD, and IDLTVODPCCSSD, except for ease of pronunciation. I'm not saying my method is perfect, its just that, until someone points of a flaw in it, its hard to fix. And I'm not a self critical sort of person, unfortuantly, so I need others to help. And please, could someone think of a better name?! How does 'Badcore CSSD' sound? 'CSSD w00t!' maybe? 'Smooth CSSD'? Hopefully not 'Inherently flawed and incredible dodgy CSSD', but I'll let you decide.

Thanks

Clinton




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