Orders on multisets and discrete cones (Q2476638)

The main goal of this paper is to study additive representability of orders on multisets (of size \(k\) drawn from a set of size \(n\)) that satisfy the condition of independence of equal submultisets (IES), introduced by \textit{M. Sertel} and \textit{A. Slinko} [Econ. Theory 30, No. 2, 265--287 (2007; Zbl 1124.91020)]. The authors present a geometric view of those orders and relate them to certain combinatorial objects which are called discrete cones. By using a previous technique initiated by \textit{P. C. Fishburn} [J. Math. Psychol. 40, No. 1, 64--77 (1996; Zbl 0851.60002)] and by \textit{M. Conder} and \textit{A. Slinko} [ibid. 48, No. 6, 425--431 (2004; Zbl 1066.60003)], the authors define two functions \(f(n,k)\) and \(g(n,k)\) which measure the maximal possible deviation of an arbitrary order satisfying the IES and an arbitrary almost representable order satisfying the IES, respectively, from a representable order. It is proved that \(g(n,k)=n-1\) whenever \(n\geq 3\) and \((n,k)\) is different from \((5,2)\), and \(g(5,2)=3\). It is also shown that the following inequalities hold: \(g(n,k)\leq f(n,k)\leq n\), and it is established that the functions \(f(n,k)\) and \(g(n,k)\) coincide for small values of \(n\) and \(k\). This leads to the interesting conjecture that \(f(n,k)\) \(=\) \(g(n,k)\) for all \(n\geq 3\) and \(k\geq 1\).