%! TEX root = ABF.tex % vim: tw=80 ft=tex % 29/01/2026 12PM \begin{fcdefn}[] \glssymboldefn{Nrho}% \glsadjdefn{rhocorrel}{$\rho$-correlated}{boolean variables}% Let $\rho \in [-1, 1]$. If $x \in \{-1, 1\}^n$, we say that $y \sim N_\rho(x)$ if for each $i$, \[ y_i = \begin{cases} x_i & \text{probability $\frac{1 + \rho}{2}$} \\ -x_i & \text{probability $\frac{1 - \rho}{2}$} \end{cases} \] (Equivalently: if $\rho \ge 0$, then with probability $\rho$ take $y_i = x_i$ and with probability $1 - \rho$ take $y_i$ random.) All choices independent. If $x$ is uniform and $y \sim N_\rho(x)$, then $y$ is uniform and $x \sim N_\rho(y)$. In this case, we write $x \sim_\rho y$ and say that $x$ and $y$ are \emph{$\rho$-correlated}. \end{fcdefn} \begin{fcdefn}[] \glssymboldefn{Trho}% If $\rho \in [-1, 1]$, then the \emph{noise operator} $T_\rho$ takes a function $f : \{-1, 1\}^n \to \Rbb$ to $T_\rho f$, defined by $T_\rho f = \Ebb_{y \sim \N_\rho(x)} f(y)$. \end{fcdefn} \begin{remark*} This is a convolution: $T_\rho f$ is a convolution of $f$ with a particular probability measure. So we should expect a nice formula about its Fourier coefficients. \end{remark*} Reminder: $x_A = \prod_{i \in A} x_i$. \begin{align*} \noise_\rho &= \Ebb_{y \in \N_\rho(x)} y_A \\ &= \Ebb_{y \sim \N_\rho(x)} \prod_{i \in A} y_i \\ &= \prod_{i \in A} \Ebb_{y \sim \N_\rho(x)} y_i \\ &= \prod_{i \in A} \left( \frac{1 + \rho}{2} x_i + \frac{1 - \rho}{2}(-x_i) \right) \\ &= \prod_{i \in A} (\rho x_i) \\ &= \prod^{|A|} x_A \end{align*} Therefore, by the inversion formula, \[ \noise_\rho f = \noise_\rho \left( \sum_A \ft{f}(A) x_A \right) = \sum_A \rho^{|A|} \ft{f}(A) x_A ,\] so \[ \ft{\noise_\rho f}(A) = \rho^{|A|} \ft{f}(A) .\] \begin{fcdefn}[] \glssymboldefn{Stab}% Let $\rho \in [-1, 1]$ and let $f : \{-1, 1\}^n \to \Rbb$. Then \begin{align*} \Stabinternal_\rho(f) &= \Ebb_{x \sim_\rho y} f(x) f(y) \\ &= \Ebb_x f(x) \Ebb_{y \sim N_{\rho(x)}} f(y) \\ &= \Ebb_x f(x) \noise_\rho f(x) \\ &= \ip\langle f, \noise_\rho f \rangle \\ &= \dualip\langle \ft{f}, \ft{\noise_\rho f} \rangle \\ &= \sum_A \rho^{|A|} \ft{f}(A)^2 \end{align*} \end{fcdefn} \newpage \section{Kalai's proof of Arrow's theorem} \begin{fcdefn}[Ranking, vote, voting rule, restriction] \glsnoundefn{ranking}{ranking}{rankings}% \glsnoundefn{vote}{vote}{votes}% \glsnoundefn{vrule}{voting rule}{voting rules}% \glsnoundefn{restriction}{restriction}{restrictions}% Let $A = \{A_1, \ldots, A_k\}$ be a set of candidates. A \emph{ranking} of $A$ is a total order on $A$. Let $R_A$ be the set of all rankings of $A$. A \emph{vote} with $n$ voters and candidate set $A$ is an element of $R_A^n$. A \emph{voting rule} is a function $f : R_A^n \to R_A$. If $B \subset A$, then the \emph{restriction} of a vote on $A$ to $B$ is the element $v$ of $R_B^n$ where each $v_i$ is the restriction of the $i$-th voter's ranking of $A$. \end{fcdefn} \begin{fcthm}[Arrow's Theorem] % Theorem 3.1 \label{thm:3.1} If $|A| \ge 3$, then there is no \gls{vrule} with the following three properties: \begin{enumerate}[(1)] \item \emph{Weak monotonicity:} If every voter prefers $A_i$ to $A_j$, then $A_i$ beats $A_j$. \item \emph{No dictators:} There is no $i$ such that the outcome is determined by the $i$-th \gls{vote}. \item \glsnoundefn{irrelalt}{Irrelevant alternatives have no effect}{}% \emph{Irrelevant alternatives have no effect:} The \gls{restriction} of the result to a subset $B$ only on the \gls{restriction} of the \gls{vote} to $B$. \end{enumerate} \end{fcthm} Note that in particular, property (3) implies that for any two candidates $A_i, A_j$, their eventual relative ranking depends only on their relative rankings by each voter. So if we encode the relative rankings by $x \in \{-1, 1\}^n$ where \[ x_r = \begin{cases} 1 & \text{$r$ prefers $A_i$ to $A_j$} \\ 0 & \text{$r$ prefers $A_j$ to $A_i$} \end{cases} \] Then the relative ranking in the outcome is given by a Boolean function $u_{ij} : \{-1, 1\}^n \to \{-1, 1\}$. If we calculate all these pairwise rankings, then they must lead to a total order (defining $A_i > A_j$ if $A_i$ is ranked above $A_j$), i.e. we don't have a \emph{Condorcet paradox}, where voters prefer $A_i$ to $A_j$, $A_j$ to $A_k$ and $A_k$ to $A_i$. So to prove \nameref{thm:3.1}, it will be enough to show that such an incompatibility must happen. \begin{fclemma}[] % Lemma 3.2 \label{lemma:3.2} Let $f : \{-1, 1\}^n \to \{-1, 1\}$ be a linear function (i.e. of \gls{degree} $1$), with $\ft{f}(\emptyset) = 0$. Then there exists $i$ such that $\forall x, f(x) = x$ or $\forall x, f(x) = -x$. \end{fclemma} \begin{proof} If $f$ takes values in $\{-1, 1\}$, then changing $x_i$ changes $f$ by $-2$, $0$ or $2$. Since $f$ is linear, it has a formula of the form $f(x) = \sum_i a_i x_i$. Therefore, each $a_i$ belongs to $\{-1, 0, 1\}$. At least one $a_i$ is non-zero. If $a_i$ and $a_j$ are non-zero, $i \neq j$, then $a_i x_i + a_j x_j$ takes at least three distinct values, contradiction. \end{proof}