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Fair division

Steven J. Brams

1996272 pagesabout 4–6 hours
1996
first published
  • 1996Cambridge University Press · 272 pages · ENGISBN 9780521553902
  • 2011Cambridge University Press · ENGISBN 9780511598975
  • 2012Cambridge University Press · ENGISBN 9781139241069

Cutting a cake, dividing up the property in an estate, determining the borders in an international dispute - such problems of fair division are ubiquitous. Fair division treats all these problems and many more through a rigorous analysis of a variety of procedures for allocating goods (or "bads" like chores), or deciding who wins on what issues, when there are disputes. Starting with an analysis of the well-known cake-cutting procedure, "I cut, you choose," the authors show how it has been adapted in a number of fields and then analyze fair-division procedures applicable to situations in which there are more than two parties, or there is more than one good to be divided. In particular, they focus on procedures which provide "envy-free" allocations, in which everybody thinks he or she has received the largest portion and hence does not envy anybody else. They also discuss the fairness of different auction and election procedures.

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