On the use of ordered sets in problems of comparison and consensus of classifications (Q1104668)

The paper gives an overview of results obtained by the ordinal approach in problems of comparison and consensus of classifications. Lattical or semilattical structures of the main sets of classification models are described. For the comparison of classifications the semimodularity of the ordinal structures involved yields computable least-move metrics based on weighted or unweighted elementary transformations. For the consensus of classifications the constructive, axiomatic and optimization approaches are considered. A unified presentation of Arrow- like characterization results is given. In the cases of n-trees, ordered trees and Buneman trees the majority rule is a significant example where the three approaches converge.