IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/mateco/v46y2010i6p1222-1228.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The mass transfer approach to multivariate discrete first order stochastic dominance: Direct proof and implications

Author

Listed:
  • Østerdal, Lars Peter

Abstract

A fundamental result in the theory of stochastic dominance tells that first order dominance between two finite multivariate distributions is equivalent to the property that the one can be obtained from the other by shifting probability mass from one outcome to another that is worse a finite number of times. This paper provides a new and elementary proof of that result by showing that starting with an arbitrary system of mass transfers, whenever the resulting distribution is first order dominated one can gradually rearrange transfers, according to a certain decentralized procedure, and obtain a system of transfers all shifting mass to outcomes that are worse.

Suggested Citation

  • Østerdal, Lars Peter, 2010. "The mass transfer approach to multivariate discrete first order stochastic dominance: Direct proof and implications," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(6), pages 1222-1228, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:mateco:v:46:y:2010:i:6:p:1222-1228
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304-4068(10)00093-5
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James P. Quirk & Rubin Saposnik, 1962. "Admissibility and Measurable Utility Functions," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 29(2), pages 140-146.
    2. Cowell, F.A., 2000. "Measurement of inequality," Handbook of Income Distribution, in: A.B. Atkinson & F. Bourguignon (ed.), Handbook of Income Distribution, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 2, pages 87-166, Elsevier.
    3. Nicolas Gravel & Patrick Moyes, 2006. "Ethically Robust Comparisons of Distributions of Two Individual Attributes," IDEP Working Papers 0605, Institut d'economie publique (IDEP), Marseille, France, revised Aug 2006.
    4. Vijay S. Bawa, 1982. "Research Bibliography---Stochastic Dominance: A Research Bibliography," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(6), pages 698-712, June.
    5. Grant, Simon & Kajii, Atsushi & Polak, Ben, 1992. "Many good choice Axioms: When can many-good lotteries be treated as money lotteries?," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 313-337, April.
    6. Levy, Haim & Paroush, Jacob, 1974. "Toward multivariate efficiency criteria," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 129-142, February.
    7. K. C. Mosler, 1984. "Stochastic Dominance Decision Rules when the Attributes are Utility Independent," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(11), pages 1311-1322, November.
    8. William R. Russell & Tae Kun Seo, 1978. "Ordering Uncertain Prospects: The Multivariate Utility Functions Case," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 45(3), pages 605-610.
    9. Marco Scarsini, 1988. "Dominance Conditions for Multivariate Utility Functions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(4), pages 454-460, April.
    10. A. B. Atkinson & F. Bourguignon, 1982. "The Comparison of Multi-Dimensioned Distributions of Economic Status," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 49(2), pages 183-201.
    11. Haim Levy, 1992. "Stochastic Dominance and Expected Utility: Survey and Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(4), pages 555-593, April.
    12. David Levhari & Jacob Paroush & Bezalel Peleg, 1975. "Efficiency Analysis for Multivariate Distributions," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 42(1), pages 87-91.
    13. Serge-Christophe Kolm, 1977. "Multidimensional Egalitarianisms," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 91(1), pages 1-13.
    14. C. C. Huang & D. Kira & I. Vertinsky, 1978. "Stochastic Dominance Rules for Multi-attribute Utility Functions," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 45(3), pages 611-615.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Finn Tarp & Lars Peter Østerdal, 2007. "Multivariate Discrete First Order Stochastic Dominance," Discussion Papers 07-23, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    2. Range, Troels Martin & Østerdal, Lars Peter, 2013. "Checking bivariate first order dominance," Discussion Papers on Economics 9/2013, University of Southern Denmark, Department of Economics.
    3. Abdelaziz, F. Ben & Lang, P. & Nadeau, R., 1995. "Distributional efficiency in multiobjective stochastic linear programming," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 399-415, September.
    4. Jeffrey, Scott R., 1987. "The Application Of Stochastic Dominance Techniques To Multi-Period Problems: Issues And Implications," Staff Papers 13547, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    5. Channing Arndt & Azhar M. Hussain & Vincenzo Salvucci & Finn Tarp & Lars Peter Østerdal, 2016. "Poverty Mapping Based on First‐Order Dominance with an Example from Mozambique," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(1), pages 3-21, January.
    6. M. Azhar Hussain & Nikolaj Siersbæk & Lars Peter Østerdal, 2020. "Multidimensional welfare comparisons of EU member states before, during, and after the financial crisis: a dominance approach," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 55(4), pages 645-686, December.
    7. Channing Arndt & Azhar M. Hussain & Vincenzo Salvucci & Finn Tarp & Lars Peter Østerdal, 2016. "Poverty Mapping Based on First‐Order Dominance with an Example from Mozambique," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(1), pages 3-21, January.
    8. Nowak, Maciej, 2004. "Preference and veto thresholds in multicriteria analysis based on stochastic dominance," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(2), pages 339-350, October.
    9. Zhong, Hai, 2009. "A multivariate analysis of the distribution of individual's welfare in China: What is the role of health?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 1062-1070, December.
    10. Nicolas Gravel & Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay, 2010. "Is India better off today than 15 years ago? A robust multidimensional answer," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 8(2), pages 173-195, June.
    11. Nicolas Gravel & Patrick Moyes, 2011. "Bidimensional Inequalities with an Ordinal Variable," Studies in Choice and Welfare, in: Marc Fleurbaey & Maurice Salles & John A. Weymark (ed.), Social Ethics and Normative Economics, pages 101-127, Springer.
    12. Nicolas Gravel & Patrick Moyes, 2006. "Ethically Robust Comparisons of Distributions of Two Individual Attributes," IDEP Working Papers 0605, Institut d'economie publique (IDEP), Marseille, France, revised Aug 2006.
    13. Decancq, Koen, 2012. "Elementary multivariate rearrangements and stochastic dominance on a Fréchet class," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 147(4), pages 1450-1459.
    14. Galichon, Alfred & Henry, Marc, 2012. "Dual theory of choice with multivariate risks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 147(4), pages 1501-1516.
    15. Timo Kuosmanen, 2004. "Efficient Diversification According to Stochastic Dominance Criteria," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(10), pages 1390-1406, October.
    16. Muller, Christophe, 2005. "Price index dispersion and utilitarian social evaluation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 89(2), pages 141-146, November.
    17. N. GRAVEL & Patrick MOYES, 2008. "Bidimensional Inequalities with an Ordinal Variable," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2008-14, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    18. Arndt, Channing & Distante, Roberta & Hussain, M. Azhar & Østerdal, Lars Peter & Huong, Pham Lan & Ibraimo, Maimuna, 2012. "Ordinal Welfare Comparisons with Multiple Discrete Indicators: A First Order Dominance Approach and Application to Child Poverty," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(11), pages 2290-2301.
    19. Channing Arndt & Azhar Hussain & Vincenzo Salvucci & Finn Tarp & Lars Peter Østerdal, 2013. "Advancing Small Area Estimation," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2013-053, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Christoffer Sonne-Schmidt & Finn Tarp & Lars Peter Østerdal, 2013. "Ordinal Multidimensional Inequality," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2013-097, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:mateco:v:46:y:2010:i:6:p:1222-1228. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jmateco .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.