Examples: realistic or informative? (was: Re: Lowest Number of F

[Steve Eppley]

Don wrote:
>Being as there are fifteen combinations with three candidates, I
>want to see fifteen rankings.
-snip-
>Examples are a good way to understand something but most examples
>that I have tried to study are unbelievable
-snip-

If the point of an example is to show that a method can reach a
decisive result no matter how complex are the ballot combinations
cast, or to show what a complex tally would look like, then a complex
example would be useful.  

But I believe the points of all the simple examples are to show how
methods can violate criteria or standards.  Adding complexity would
just make these points harder to understand.  I'd like to know why
Don thinks otherwise.

Don is asking for a lot of unnecessary labor, in my opinion.  I
propose that he try a taste of his own medicine.  I hope he'll keep
in mind that a good voting method (which leaves out Instant Runoff)
will make it possible for many candidates to compete without fear of
throwing the election to a greater evil, so how about an example
with about a dozen significant candidates? 

---Steve     (Steve Eppley    seppley at alumni.caltech.edu)