Distance-based aggregation and consensus for preference-approvals

Abstract

This paper proposes a distance-based aggregation and consensus method for preference-approvals, a type of preference data where individuals provide a list of approved alternatives in addition to a strict ranking. The proposed method aims to synthesize individual preference-approvals into a unified consensus representing the group's collective view. The consensus is the preference-approval, which minimizes the average distance with the whole set of voters. The proposed method has potential applications in group decision-making, recommendation systems, and social choice theory.