Do Transitive Preferences Always Result in Indifferent Divisions?

The transitivity of preferences is one of the basic assumptions used in the theory of games and decisions. It is often equated with the rationality of choice and is considered useful in building rankings. Intransitive preferences are considered paradoxical and undesirable. This problem is discussed...

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Main Authors: Marcin Makowski, Edward W. Piotrowski, Jan Sładkowski
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2015-03-01
Series:Entropy
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/17/3/968
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author Marcin Makowski
Edward W. Piotrowski
Jan Sładkowski
author_facet Marcin Makowski
Edward W. Piotrowski
Jan Sładkowski
author_sort Marcin Makowski
collection DOAJ
description The transitivity of preferences is one of the basic assumptions used in the theory of games and decisions. It is often equated with the rationality of choice and is considered useful in building rankings. Intransitive preferences are considered paradoxical and undesirable. This problem is discussed by many social and natural scientists. A simple model of a sequential game in which two players choose one of the two elements in each iteration is discussed in this paper. The players make their decisions in different contexts defined by the rules of the game. It appears that the optimal strategy of one of the players can only be intransitive (the so-called relevant intransitive strategy)! On the other hand, the optimal strategy for the second player can be either transitive or intransitive. A quantum model of the game using pure one-qubit strategies is considered. In this model, an increase in the importance of intransitive strategies is observed: there is a certain course of the game where intransitive strategies are the only optimal strategies for both players. The study of decision-making models using quantum information theory tools may shed some new light on the understanding of mechanisms that drive the formation of types of preferences.
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spelling doaj.art-4db728c43b9a48e18484e2134efa628c2022-12-22T04:04:13ZengMDPI AGEntropy1099-43002015-03-0117396898310.3390/e17030968e17030968Do Transitive Preferences Always Result in Indifferent Divisions?Marcin Makowski0Edward W. Piotrowski1Jan Sładkowski2Institute of Mathematics, University of Bialystok, Ciołkowskiego 1M, Pl-15245 Białystok, PolandInstitute of Mathematics, University of Bialystok, Ciołkowskiego 1M, Pl-15245 Białystok, PolandInstitute of Physics, University of Silesia, Uniwersytecka 4, Pl-40007 Katowice, PolandThe transitivity of preferences is one of the basic assumptions used in the theory of games and decisions. It is often equated with the rationality of choice and is considered useful in building rankings. Intransitive preferences are considered paradoxical and undesirable. This problem is discussed by many social and natural scientists. A simple model of a sequential game in which two players choose one of the two elements in each iteration is discussed in this paper. The players make their decisions in different contexts defined by the rules of the game. It appears that the optimal strategy of one of the players can only be intransitive (the so-called relevant intransitive strategy)! On the other hand, the optimal strategy for the second player can be either transitive or intransitive. A quantum model of the game using pure one-qubit strategies is considered. In this model, an increase in the importance of intransitive strategies is observed: there is a certain course of the game where intransitive strategies are the only optimal strategies for both players. The study of decision-making models using quantum information theory tools may shed some new light on the understanding of mechanisms that drive the formation of types of preferences.http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/17/3/968relevant intransitive strategiesquantum strategyquantum modelingdecision-making
spellingShingle Marcin Makowski
Edward W. Piotrowski
Jan Sładkowski
Do Transitive Preferences Always Result in Indifferent Divisions?
Entropy
relevant intransitive strategies
quantum strategy
quantum modeling
decision-making
title Do Transitive Preferences Always Result in Indifferent Divisions?
title_full Do Transitive Preferences Always Result in Indifferent Divisions?
title_fullStr Do Transitive Preferences Always Result in Indifferent Divisions?
title_full_unstemmed Do Transitive Preferences Always Result in Indifferent Divisions?
title_short Do Transitive Preferences Always Result in Indifferent Divisions?
title_sort do transitive preferences always result in indifferent divisions
topic relevant intransitive strategies
quantum strategy
quantum modeling
decision-making
url http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/17/3/968
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