On The Probability of a Rational Outcome for Generalized Social Welfare Functions on Three Alternatives

TL;DR

This paper extends Kalai's analysis of the probability of rational outcomes in social welfare functions on three alternatives, using advanced Fourier-analytic tools to establish new bounds under broader preference distributions.

Contribution

It generalizes Kalai's results to more general preference distributions and proves a conjecture that the probability is at least 3/4 for monotone, balanced GSWFs with uniform preferences.

Findings

Probability of rational outcome is at least 3/4 for certain GSWFs.

Generalizes previous bounds to broader preference distributions.

Uses Fourier analysis and FKG inequality techniques.

Abstract

In [G. Kalai, A Fourier-theoretic Perspective on the Condorcet Paradox and Arrow's Theorem, Adv. in Appl. Math. 29(3) (2002), pp. 412--426], Kalai investigated the probability of a rational outcome for a generalized social welfare function (GSWF) on three alternatives, when the individual preferences are uniform and independent. In this paper we generalize Kalai's results to a broader class of distributions of the individual preferences, and obtain new lower bounds on the probability of a rational outcome in several classes of GSWFs. In particular, we show that if the GSWF is monotone and balanced and the distribution of the preferences is uniform, then the probability of a rational outcome is at least 3/4, proving a conjecture raised by Kalai. The tools used in the paper are analytic: the Fourier-Walsh expansion of Boolean functions on the discrete cube, properties of the Bonamie-Beckner noise operator, and the FKG inequality.