Quorums enable optimal pooling of independent judgements in biological systems.
- Submitting institution
-
The University of Sheffield
- Unit of assessment
- 11 - Computer Science and Informatics
- Output identifier
- 2610
- Type
- D - Journal article
- DOI
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10.7554/elife.40368
- Title of journal
- eLife
- Article number
- e40368
- First page
- -
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- -
- ISSN
- 2050-084X
- Open access status
- Compliant
- Month of publication
- February
- Year of publication
- 2019
- URL
-
-
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
3
- Research group(s)
-
B - Complex Systems Modelling
- Citation count
- 6
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- The orthodox opinion has long been that majority decisions are optimal. This is the first work to demonstrate that the current belief is incorrect by using signal detection theory to quantify a range of decision scenarios where decisions are sub-optimal, leading to novel predictions on how quorum thresholds should vary according to decision characteristics. This paper argues that the work is significant for understanding biological systems; it contributes to political science theory, and it enables the design of optimal decentralised decision-making systems such as robot collectives, or networks of sensors.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -