The surplus procedure (SP) is a
fair division
Fair division is the problem in game theory of dividing a set of resources among several people who have an Entitlement (fair division), entitlement to them so that each person receives their due share. The central tenet of fair division is that ...
protocol for dividing goods in a way that achieves proportional
equitability. It can be generalized to more than 2=two people and is
strategyproof. For three or more people it is not always possible to achieve a division that is both equitable and
envy-free.
The surplus procedure was devised by
Steven J. Brams, Michael A. Jones, and Christian Klamler in 2006.
A generalization of the surplus procedure called the equitable procedure (EP) achieves a form of equitability. Equitability and envy-freeness can be incompatible for 3 or more players.
Criticisms of the paper
There have been a few criticisms of aspects of the paper.
Cutting Cakes Correctly
by Theodore P. Hill, School of Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 2008 In effect the paper should cite a weaker form of Pareto optimality and suppose the measures are always strictly positive.
See also
* Adjusted winner procedure
* Approval voting
References
Fair division protocols
Welfare economics
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