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Optimal Ranking of Tournaments J. Spencer The Rand Corporation Santa Monica, California Dedicated to the Memory of Jon Hal Folkman December 8,1938 - January 23,1969 1. INTRODUCTION Let us be given a tournament Tn (i-e.,a complete direct- ed graph) on n players. It is natural to look for a ranking (linear order) L on the n players that best reflects the tour- nament result. Thinking of L as a complete directed transitive graph we may use IE(T) fl E(L) I, where E(T) = edge set of T, as a measure of how good a fit L is. We ask, what is the worst case. Set f (n) = min max IE(T ) nE(L) 1. n Tn We wish to find bounds of f(n). such that every T contains a set of k consistent arcs. The arcs in a set S are here said to be consistent if we may re- label the nodes so that if ij is in S then i > j. Erdbs and Moon fll moved It is easy to show that f(n) is the greatest integer k n + cl, c ... represent positive absolute constants. The value of c was improved by Reid [21 and Jung (unpublished) showed 2’ 1 Any views expressed i n this paper are those of the author. They should not be interpreted as reflecting the vieus of The RAND Corporation or the official opinion or policy of any of its governmental or pyiuate research sponsors. Networks, 1: 135-138 3 1971 John Wiley &i Sons, Inc. 135

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Page 1: Optimal ranking of tournaments

Optimal Ranking of Tournaments

J. Spencer The Rand Corporation Santa Monica, California

Dedicated to the Memory of Jon Hal Folkman December 8,1938 - January 23,1969

1. INTRODUCTION

Let us be given a tournament Tn (i-e., a complete direct-

ed graph) on n players. It is natural to look for a ranking (linear order) L on the n players that best reflects the tour- nament result. Thinking of L as a complete directed transitive graph we may use IE(T) fl E(L) I, where E(T) = edge set of T, as a measure of how good a fit L is. We ask, what is the worst case. Set

f (n) = min max IE(T ) nE(L) 1 . n Tn

We wish to find bounds of f(n).

such that every T contains a set of k consistent arcs. The

arcs in a set S are here said to be consistent if we may re-

label the nodes so that if ij is in S then i > j. Erdbs and Moon fll moved

It is easy to show that f(n) is the greatest integer k

n

+

cl, c ... represent positive absolute constants. The value

of c was improved by Reid [21 and Jung (unpublished) showed 2’

1

Any views expressed i n t h i s paper are those of the author. They should not be interpreted as r e f l e c t i n g the vieus of The RAND Corporation or the o f f i c i a l opinion o r policy of any of i t s governmental or pyiuate research sponsors.

Networks, 1: 135-138 3 1971 John Wiley &i Sons, Inc. 135

Page 2: Optimal ranking of tournaments

136 SPENCER n

f ( n ) - > 1 / 2 ( 2 ) + c2n log n. Our main r e s u l t i s

Theorem A: f f n ) > 1 / 2 f : ) + c3n 3 / 2 . -

W e also show

Theorem B : f f n ) - < 1 / 2 f i l + ( f i / 4 + ~ f l I l n ~ ’ ~ ~

2. A LOWER BOUND FOR f (n)

I n t h i s s e c t i o n w e prove Theorem A. W e show it f o r c =

f o r m < n .

(1 < i < n) win si games.

p l ac ing p l aye r i on top and us ing induct ion t o g e t t h e o rde r on t h e o t h e r (n - 1) p laye r s . Then

Suppose by induct ion w e have f ( m ) 1_ m/4 + c m 3/2 3 3

I f s

F i x the tournament T = Tn. L e t p l aye r i

> n/2 + & create an L by i - -

2 3 /2 + J;; > n /4 + c3n - and w e are done.

similar r e s u l t s .

f o r a22 i. Set

For s

Thus w e may assume 1-42 - 6 < s

< n/2-& w e p l a c e i a t t h e bottom with i < n/2 + 6 i -

U = { ( x , B) : x E TI B C T , - x 4 B,IBI = n/2,

I { y E B : x + y)I > n/4 + 6 1 .

For f i x e d x s e t S ( x ) = {y : x + y}. Then

I{B : (x, B) E U}l =

n (n/2)

n

Prob [x 6 B, ( S ( x ) fl B I - > n/4 c J;; : IBI = n/2]

- 1 / 2 (n /2) Prob [ I S ( x ) n BI as x 4 B i s p r a c t i c a l l y independent of I S ( x ) fl BI .

t i o n 13, p. 2191. ( S ( x ) I = n/2 - &. Deviat ion = J1/2 n/2 1 / 2 1 / 2 = &/4 so t h e

n/4 + J;; : IBI = 11/21

This P r o b a b i l i t y i s g iven by a hypergeometric d i s t r i b u -

Then E [ I S ( x ) f-7 B ( 3 = n/4 -&2, Standard I t i s smallest when I S ( x ) \ i s minimal,

Page 3: Optimal ranking of tournaments

OPTIMAL RANKING OF TOURNAMENTS 137

Prob > 1 - O(6) where - X

J -m

i s t h e cumulative normal.

n n/2

n L e t t i n g x range over T we see I u I > n(n/2 1 (1 - @(6)).

A s t h e number of B is ( t h e r e e x i s t s a f i x e d B so t h a t

I{x : ( x , B ) E U)l> - n ( l - @ ( 6 ) ) .

F ix t h a t B and X = {x : (x , B) E U ) and R = T - B - X. Define l i n e a r o r d e r s L ( B ) , L ( X ) , L ( R ) t h a t agree with T I B , T I X , T I R r e s p e c t i v e l y on a t least h a l f t h e edges [by induct ion - or by j u s t t r y i n g L and Lc] . X < B < R or R < X < B so t h a t a t least h a l f of t h e edges with one node i n R and one no t agree wi th T.

Then de f ine L by e i t h e r

Then w e have

Q.E.D. 2 I E ( L ) n E ( T ) I 2 n /4 + n 3 j 2 ( l - Q(6)).

By more c a r e f u l manipulations w e have been able t o prove Theorem A f o r c3 = .1577989...

3. AN UPPER BOUND FOR f (n)

I n t h i s s e c t i o n w e prove Theorem B. Think of l i n e a r o rde r s L as permutat ions, and t h e r e f o r e func t ions

L : E l , ..., n) -41, ..., n ) . Set t = [&I and

L ( t + 1)< ... < L ( 2 t )

L ( k t + 1) < L ( k t + 2 ) < ... < L ( k t + t)

1

I t can e a s i l y be shown t h a t < Ln. Set

V = ( ( T , L) : L €2, I E ( T ) n E ( L ) I 1/2(;)+ a)

Following t h e argument of Erdt)s and Moon [ l l w e can show

Page 4: Optimal ranking of tournaments

138 SPENCER

when a = ( f i / 4 + o(1) G. Thus t h e r e e x i s t s T such t h a t

L € 2 But given any L , w e rearrange L ( k t + 11, ..., L ( k t + t) t o

form L* E 2 where IE(L)AE(L*) I 5 t ( 2 ) - 1/2n

Thus for a l l L ,

n t 3/2 .

I E ( T ) n E ( L ) I - < I E ( T ) n E(L*) I + I E ( L * ) A E ( L ) (

= 1 / 2 ( ~ ) + ( 6 / 4 + b ( l ) ) n 3 / 2

REFERENCES

1. E r d o s , P. and J. W. Moon, "On S e t s of C o n s i s t e n t Arcs i n a Tournament," Canad. Math. BUZZ. 8 , 1965, pp. 269- 271.

2. Reid, K. B. , " S t r u c t u r e i n F i n i t e Graphs," Ph. D. Thesis, U n i v e r s i t y of I l l i n o i s , 1968.

3 . Wilks, s. s., MathematicaZ Statistics, John Wiley & Sons, N.Y. , 1962.

Paper received May 20, 1970.