Algebraic aggregation theory (Q1091238)

This paper presents a unifying algebraic framework for the theory of aggregation. An aggregation f is a mapping from \(X^ n\) into X, where X is some subset of a vector space \(B^ m\) over a field B. Let F be the set of all aggregators. The focus of the paper is on the set of consistent aggregators satisfying for all \((x_ 1,...,x_ n)\) and \((x_ 1',...,x_ n')\) in \(X^ n\) and all \(j\in \{1,...,m\}:\) (C\({}_ 1)\) \((x_{1j},...,x_{nj})=(x'_{1j},...,x'_{nj})\Rightarrow f_ j(x_ 1,...,x_ n)=f_ j(x_ 1',...,x_ n'),\) (C\({}_ 2)\) \((x_{1j},...,x_{nj})=(b,...,b)\Rightarrow f_ j(x_{1j},...,x_{nj})=b.\) C\({}_ 1\) is an independence condition stating that the j-th component of the aggregator shall depend only on the j-th column of the aggregation matrix, while \(C_ 2\) is an unanimity condition. Let \(F_ c\) be the set of aggregators satisfying \(C_ 1\) and \(C_ 2.\) Other classes of aggregators considered are (i) the set \(F_ A\) of additive aggregators, (ii) the set \(F_ S\) of normalized linear aggregators, (iii) the set \(F_ P\) of projection aggregators: (i) \(F_ A=\{f\in F:\) f satisfies \(C_ 1\) and \(f_ j(y+z)=f_ j(y)+f_ j(z)\) for all \(j\leq m\) and all column vectors \(y,z,y+z\in X^ n_ j\},\) (ii) \(F_ S=\{f\in F:\exists \lambda_ 1,...,\lambda_ n\in B\) s.t. \(\sum \lambda_ i=1\), and \(\forall (x_ 1,...,x_ n)\in X^ n\), \(f(x_ 1,...,x_ n)=\sum^{n}_{i=1}\lambda_ ix_ i\},\) (iii) \(F_ P=\{f\in F:\exists i\in \{1,...,m\}^ s.\)t. \(\forall (x_ 1,...,x_ n)\in X^ n\), \(f(x_ 1,...,x_ m)=x_ i\}.\) Clearly, \(F_ P\subseteq F_ S\subseteq F_ A.\) Theorem 1: Suppose \(m\geq 3\), \(X=\{(x^ 1,x^ 2,...,x^ m)\in B^ m|\sum b_ jx^ j=b\}\) with \(b_ j\neq 0\), \(\forall j\). Then \(F_ c\subseteq F_ A.\) Corollary: In addition to hypothesis of Theorem 1, if B is a finite field, or if \(B={\mathbb{R}}\) and every \(f_ j\) is continuous or monotone, then \(F_ c\subseteq F_ S.\) Theorem 2: If B is a finite field and X is not a translate of a linear subspace of \(B^ m\), then every linear consistent aggregator is projective (or dictatorial).