Grex Enigma Conference

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Grex Enigma Item 202: The Science of Compromise - a Manual for the Twenty-First Century
Entered by remmers on Mon Jun 20 23:34:58 UTC 1994:

So the idea is that if one person wants X and the other person wants
Y then you should give them (.5)x+(.5)y unless one person is at least
10 years the other person's senior in which case it should be
(.7)x + (.3)y where I am assuming it is the senior person who
wants X.  Of course if that person is the Governor or the President
then the balance is to be adjusted accordingly.

In this way, compromise is transformed from an art into a science!
Challenge:  Can YOU say the same?

16 responses total.

#1 of 16 by janc on Tue Jun 21 00:03:31 1994:

 So the idea is that if one person wants X and the other person wants
 Y then you should give them (.5)x+(.5)y unless one person is at least
 10 years the other person's senior in which case it should be
 (.7)x + (.3)y where I am assuming it is the senior person who
 wants X.  Of course if that person is the Governor or the President
 then the balance is to be adjusted accordingly.
 
 In this way, compromise is transformed from an art into a science!

#2 of 16 by janc on Tue Jun 21 00:09:58 1994:

See I can say the same.  But I'm not sure I understand it.  Suppose one
person wants FAME and the other wants LOVE.  If we place FAME and LOVE on
a linear scale we get:
                         FAME
                         LAME
                         LANE
                         LONE
                         LOVE
So if they are roughly the same age, they both get LANE, but if the FAME
seeker is senior to the LOVE seeker, the FAME seeker gets LAME and the LOVE
seeker gets LONE?

#3 of 16 by remmers on Tue Jun 21 00:16:20 1994:

You understand perfectly.  By reducing the principles of compromise to
a mathematical formula, we have replaced the tedium of art by the
pristine efficiency of science!

#4 of 16 by fuz on Tue Jun 21 00:27:36 1994:

well said, janc!
ROTFLOL!

#5 of 16 by rcurl on Tue Jun 21 04:52:56 1994:

FAME, LAME, LAVE, LOVE is of higher efficiency. But, in answer to the
original question: the same.

#6 of 16 by janc on Tue Jun 21 05:50:43 1994:

Well, efficiency is in the eye of the beholder.  In the first place, LAVE
is not a word I use very often and thus it's introduction into the sequence
devalues the whole thing.  But worse, you sequence is too short, and worse,
has no center.  Thus it makes a very coarse scale, and undermines the
utility of the whole process.

#7 of 16 by rcurl on Tue Jun 21 07:17:48 1994:

You don't lave? Whew!

#8 of 16 by remmers on Tue Jun 21 12:05:51 1994:

Ya gotta remember that he's in Texas.

My compromise equation is for conflict resolution between two
people, that is, it solves the Two Body Problem.  The Three Body
Problem, or more generally the N Body Problem, is more difficult
but still tractable, I think.  It's currently the subject of
research by my graduate students.  We'll let you know.

#9 of 16 by canis on Tue Jun 21 15:31:00 1994:

if npersons want n then you give them (1/n)n + (1/n)n. Havn't figured out
what to do about the seinor, question, yet.

#10 of 16 by janc on Wed Jun 22 03:33:16 1994:

Hmmm.  One person wants FAME, one wants LOOT, and one wants LOVE.  We can
map this out as shown below:

                    LOOT 
     FAME        FOOT 
        FARE  FORT
           FORE
           LORE
           LOVE

Now, if the LOVE seeker has seniority, everyone settles for LORE, but what
if the LOVE seekr and LOOT seeker are both equally senior, but the FAME
seeker is very much less?  Ah, then we have to look for the shortest path
between LOVE and LOOT  (LOVE,LOSE,LOST,LOOT) and ignore FAME entirely.  So
they compromise with LOSE or LOST which makes little difference.

#11 of 16 by fuz on Wed Jun 22 04:03:41 1994:

impressive.
faulty but impressive. reread he item....

#12 of 16 by janc on Thu Jun 23 20:37:39 1994:

I am never faulty.  However the item may well be.

#13 of 16 by turtle on Wed Jun 29 16:31:59 1994:

What is the balance if the person of seniority IS the Govenor or President?
Or what if the other person is the Govenor or President, and the first
person is at least 10 years his senior?

#14 of 16 by fuz on Wed Jun 29 20:31:12 1994:

Why then you ask a computer to find the answer, and accept its answer only if
its the one you wanted.

#15 of 16 by remmers on Thu Jun 30 14:35:57 1994:

Re #13:  Good question.  One of my graduate students is working on it
for his dissertation.

#16 of 16 by orinoco on Sun Sep 18 16:51:03 1994:

So if I agree with item 6, and you prefer item 8, then I
have to put up with your little bit of insanity in item 7?

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