Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
image/svg+xml art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos Open Access logo, converted into svg, designed by PLoS. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Open_Access_logo_PLoS_white.svg art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos http://www.plos.org/ ZENODOarrow_drop_down
image/svg+xml art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos Open Access logo, converted into svg, designed by PLoS. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Open_Access_logo_PLoS_white.svg art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos http://www.plos.org/
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
versions View all 2 versions
addClaim

On the Structural Limits of Ranking Under Non-Separable Valuation

Authors: Patrone, Marco;

On the Structural Limits of Ranking Under Non-Separable Valuation

Abstract

This paper studies the structural limits of ranking systems under non-separable valuation. Many real-world selection environments operate under capacity constraints: search engines return finite result sets, platforms recommend limited inventories, and hiring systems filter candidate pools. In such settings, the value of an item may depend on which other items are simultaneously selected. The paper formalizes a class of allocation problems where valuations are non-separable and demonstrates that ranking cannot, in general, guarantee optimal allocation under such complementarities. It introduces a separability sufficiency theorem establishing that ranking guarantees optimal allocation if and only if valuations are separable. The work further distinguishes retrieval from allocation as formally distinct computational problem classes. An information-theoretic characterization is developed showing that ranking necessarily compresses the valuation space from exponential interaction structures to linear ordering structures, discarding interaction information. The paper also analyzes inferential infrastructure and shows how inferential costs can affect inclusion probabilities in constrained allocation systems. The contribution is theoretical and implementation-independent. It does not propose a commercial platform or application-specific architecture, but instead provides a formal framework for understanding the computational and allocative limits of ranking-based selection systems.

Keywords

computational economics, allocation theory, information compression, quadratic knapsack, ranking systems, combinatorial optimization, non-separable valuation, inferential infrastructure

  • BIP!
    Impact byBIP!
    selected citations
    These citations are derived from selected sources.
    This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    0
    popularity
    This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
    Average
    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    Average
    impulse
    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
    Average
Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average