[EM] IRV vs Plurality (back to the pile count controversy)

[robert bristow-johnson]

On Jan 21, 2010, at 7:05 PM, James Gilmour wrote:

>>> N	Unique Preference Profiles
>>> 2	4
>>> 3	15
>> ...
>>
>> then your calculation is mistaken.  the fact that you ostensibly need
>> 4 piles when there are only two candidates should serve as a clue.
>>
>
> If there are two candidates, A and B, then the possible unique  
> preference profiles are:	
> A	
> B	
> A>B	
> B>A
>


what, on a ballot, is the consequential difference in meaning between  
"A" and "A>B"?  what effect does a ballot marked "A>B" have over one  
marked just "A" (or vise versa) in *any* election method that uses  
ranked ballots?

--

r b-j                  rbj at audioimagination.com

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."