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

[robert bristow-johnson]

On Jan 21, 2010, at 7:42 PM, Kathy Dopp wrote:

> James,
>
> Your formulas below are only correct in the case that voters are
> allowed to rank all the candidates who run for an election contest.

James didn't put forth any formulae.  but he did put forth a table  
which appears to be consistent with

              N-1
     P(N)  =  SUM{ N!/n! }
              n=0

he, appears to miss the same point as Abd and you do.

> That may be true in Australia, but is not true in the US where
> typically voters are allowed to rank up to only three candidates.

where do you get your information, Kathy?  that is *not* at all the  
case in the IRV election in Burlington VT.

or is Burlington untypical?

--

r b-j                  rbj at audioimagination.com

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."