>This is an example of where expert jargon is counter-intuitive to a >beginner. >If a completed ranked ballot looks like this: >Candiate Rank >A 2 >B 3 >C 1 >D 4 >We tend to loosely say that "C is ranked 'higher' than B" which is >counter-intuitive because the number 1 is 'lower' than the number 3. >Anthony
This is basically a question of common usage. I'm not totally sure, but I think that there are plenty of other contexts where a ranking of "1" is considered to be a very "high" ranking, "higher" than a ranking of 2 or 10. Of course, in most cases, a *score* of 1 is considered to be lower than a score of 2, but when you're talking about ranking rather score, lower numbers are generally understood to represent higher rankings. Anyway, yes, I guess it can be confusing sometimes, but I don't think that the usage is specific to voting methods. my best, James ---- Election-methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info
