Election Opinion Poll Preferences: What's Possible for (a,b,c)?

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In the discussion about election opinion poll preferences among candidates A, B, and C, participants analyze the feasibility of specific preference fractions (a, b, c). The key focus is on identifying which combinations of preferences are impossible based on the given fractions. The solution indicates that certain combinations, such as (0.61, 0.71, 0.71) and (0.68, 0.68, 0.68), violate the principles of transitive preferences in voting theory. The discussion highlights the complexities of voter preferences and the mathematical constraints that govern them. Ultimately, the analysis reveals that not all proposed preference fractions can coexist logically.
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Three candidates A, B, C are contesting an election. In an opinion poll fraction $a$ of voters prefer A to B, fraction $b$ prefer B to C and fraction $c$ prefer C to A. then which of the following preferences are impossible for $(a,b,c)$?

1. (0.51,0.51,0.51)
2. (0.61,0.71,0.71)
3. (0.68,0.68,0.68)
4. (0.49,0.49,0.49)
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No one answered this week's problem :(

Solution (from Stackexchange):
There are six possible preference orders for the candidates:

$d$: A>B>C
$e$: A>C>B
$f$: B>A>C
$g$: B>C>A
$h$: C>A>B
$i$: C>B>A

From this, $a = d + e + f$, $b = f + g + i$, and $c = e + h + i$.

$a + b +c = d + 2e + 2f + g + h + 2i \le 2(d + e + f + g + h + i) = 2(\text{# of voters})$.

In scenario (3), $a + b + c = 204\%$, which is impossible.
 

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