Why Ice Cream Sellers Stand Next to Each Other Instead of Spreading Out
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Re: Why Ice Cream Sellers Stand Next to Each Other Instead of Spreading Out
#2But what happens when there are three ice-cream sellers?
Re: Why Ice Cream Sellers Stand Next to Each Other Instead of Spreading Out
#3The application to politics is especially relevant: "Anthony Downs noted that Hoteling's model could explain political competition. ... As with the ice cream sellers on the beach the political candidates will choose a political position that is virtually the same as their opponent's. Furthermore the candidates will be driven to select the political position of the median voter."
This jives with gut intuition, that in the end the differences between Republican/Democrat aren't really that great.
Would love to see this as an interactive applet or widget where you could adjust the locations and quantity of sellers (or politicians).
Re: Why Ice Cream Sellers Stand Next to Each Other Instead of Spreading Out
#4The application to politics is especially relevant: "Anthony Downs noted that Hoteling's model could explain political competition. ... As with the ice cream sellers on the beach the political candidates will choose a political position that is virtually the same as their opponent's. Furthermore the candidates will be driven to select the political position of the median voter." This jives with gut intuition, that in…
It depends on the voting system too, though. This doesn't happen so much in systems that are not "winner takes all". In Italy, you can happily vote for the hammer-and-sickle communists (or the extremists on the other end) and they'll pick up a few seats in parliament; it's not like their representatives need to win in any one district - it's enough to get a percentage of the national vote. This has both benefits and its own problems, as well.
Re: Why Ice Cream Sellers Stand Next to Each Other Instead of Spreading Out
#5Many browsers and OS combinators suffer problems when Java applets are automatically launched.
Please add a [JAVA] tag in future.
Re: Why Ice Cream Sellers Stand Next to Each Other Instead of Spreading Out
#6But what happens when there are three ice-cream sellers?
Two of them get together and manage to keep the likely thirds marginal?
Re: Why Ice Cream Sellers Stand Next to Each Other Instead of Spreading Out
#7But what happens when there are three ice-cream sellers?
The three get together, but the middle one get no clients.
Re: Why Ice Cream Sellers Stand Next to Each Other Instead of Spreading Out
#8There is a game theory course on itunes U that covers this more in depth during one of the first lectures - worth taking a look at if anyone is interested in delving deeper into this sort of thing.
Re: Why Ice Cream Sellers Stand Next to Each Other Instead of Spreading Out
#9But what happens when there are three ice-cream sellers?
The one in the middle forecloses on his house.
Re: Why Ice Cream Sellers Stand Next to Each Other Instead of Spreading Out
#10There is a game theory course on itunes U that covers this more in depth during one of the first lectures - worth taking a look at if anyone is interested in delving deeper into this sort of thing.