Generating functionsa useful tool for computing power indices

  1. Alonso Meijide, José María
  2. Casas Méndez, Balbina Virginia
Journal:
BEIO, Boletín de Estadística e Investigación Operativa

ISSN: 1889-3805

Year of publication: 2009

Volume: 25

Issue: 3

Pages: 206-217

Type: Article

More publications in: BEIO, Boletín de Estadística e Investigación Operativa

Abstract

In the theory of simple games, the study of power indices plays an important role. One of the main difficulties with these indices is that computation generally requires the sum of a very large number of terms. The generating functions are efficient tools to make more easy this computation. In this paper, we provide a revision of the main elements of this method when we use it to compute the Shapley-Shubik and the Banzhaf- Coleman power indices. Further, we provide a new method to compute the Banzhaf-Coleman index.