[EM] Remember Toby

[Jameson Quinn]

My impression was that the "remember Toby" thread(s) was (were) inclining
towards advocating simpler systems than CSSD. I heard more support for C//A,
minimax, and SODA.

Separately, I agree that it's best to describe a system by focusing on the
outcome rather than the procedure. The difference is not so large for C//A
and SODA; for minimax, though, that inclines one to the "least extra votes"
description. (Although with a covering Smith set > 4, this is not
technically identical to minimax, I'm happy to ignore that difference, or
even to actually use the "least extra votes" system instead of minimax.)

JQ

2011/6/21 <fsimmons at pcc.edu>

> As I remember it, when Toby settled on CSSD, we made a huge psychological
> mistake: we got bogged
> down in the description of the CSSD algorithm for the public proposal.  I
> think that was a fatal mistake,
> and I would like to propose a strategy for avoiding that mistake in the
> future.
>
> It was a mistake because it gave the impression that to understand the
> proposal, you have to
> understand a detailed algorithm.
>
> Here’s an analogy:
>
> Complicated Version of the law of refraction:
> Snell’s law says that the ratio of the signs of the angles of incidence and
> refraction are equal to the
> ratios of the speeds of light in the respective media at the interface
> where the refraction takes place.
> This is way too technical for the average man on the street.
>
> Simple version of the law of refraction: Fermat’s Principle's says that
> light takes the path of least time.
> The man on the street can understand this.  Snell’s law gives a way of
> finding that path of least time for
> the technician.
>
> What is analogous to Fermat’s principle in the context of CSSD?
>
> Answer: the beatpath winner idea.  We elect the alternative A with the
> strongest beatpaths to the other
> alternatives.  This means that for each alternative B, alternative A has a
> stronger beatpath to B than B
> does to A.  Once the concept of a beatpath is explained (and that its
> strength is that of the weakest link)
> then the man on the street can understand this definition of the method.
>  The CSSD algorithm is the
> technical part like Snell’s law,that the man on the street doesn’t have to
> worry about.
>
>
>
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