Functional equations arising in a theory of rank dependence and homogeneous joint receipts. (Q1398455)

This paper studies a class of utility representations of uncertain alternatives (binary gambles) that are linked to a not necessarily commutative operation (joint receipt) by a distributivity property called segregation. The assumption of the gambling structure and the joint receipt operation both having order preserving homogeneous representations, together with further plausible restrictions, lead to functional equations. The two families of solutions that arise, one commutative and associative and the other non-commutative and bisymmetric, but not associative, are interpreted in utility terms. An application to psychophysics favors non-commutativity. Finally several open problems are mentioned.