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Fair integer programming under dichotomous and cardinal preferences

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Abstract
One cannot make truly fair decisions using integer linear programs unless one controls the selection probabilities of the (possibly many) optimal solutions. For this purpose, we propose a unified framework when binary decision variables represent agents with dichotomous preferences, who only care about whether they are selected in the final solution. We develop several general-purpose algorithms to fairly select optimal solutions, for example, by maximizing the Nash product or the minimum selection probability, or by using a random ordering of the agents as a selection criterion (Random Serial Dictatorship). We also discuss in detail how to extend the proposed methods when agents have cardinal preferences. As such, we embed the “black-box” procedure of solving an integer linear program into a framework that is explainable from start to finish. Lastly, we evaluate the proposed methods on two specific applications, namely kidney exchange (dichotomous preferences), and the scheduling problem of minimizing total tardiness on a single machine (cardinal preferences). We find that while the methods maximizing the Nash product or the minimum selection probability outperform the other methods on the evaluated welfare criteria, methods such as Random Serial Dictatorship perform reasonably well in computation times that are similar to those of finding a single optimal solution.
Keywords
Integer programming, Fairness, Inequity, Randomization, Column generation

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MLA
Demeulemeester, Tom, et al. “Fair Integer Programming under Dichotomous and Cardinal Preferences.” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, vol. 320, no. 3, 2025, pp. 465–78, doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2024.08.023.
APA
Demeulemeester, T., Goossens, D., Hermans, B., & Leus, R. (2025). Fair integer programming under dichotomous and cardinal preferences. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, 320(3), 465–478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2024.08.023
Chicago author-date
Demeulemeester, Tom, Dries Goossens, Ben Hermans, and Roel Leus. 2025. “Fair Integer Programming under Dichotomous and Cardinal Preferences.” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH 320 (3): 465–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2024.08.023.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Demeulemeester, Tom, Dries Goossens, Ben Hermans, and Roel Leus. 2025. “Fair Integer Programming under Dichotomous and Cardinal Preferences.” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH 320 (3): 465–478. doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2024.08.023.
Vancouver
1.
Demeulemeester T, Goossens D, Hermans B, Leus R. Fair integer programming under dichotomous and cardinal preferences. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH. 2025;320(3):465–78.
IEEE
[1]
T. Demeulemeester, D. Goossens, B. Hermans, and R. Leus, “Fair integer programming under dichotomous and cardinal preferences,” EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, vol. 320, no. 3, pp. 465–478, 2025.
@article{01J9Y3C2EP3XECXJK6KS0MQSGG,
  abstract     = {{One cannot make truly fair decisions using integer linear programs unless one controls the selection probabilities of the (possibly many) optimal solutions. For this purpose, we propose a unified framework when binary decision variables represent agents with dichotomous preferences, who only care about whether they are selected in the final solution. We develop several general-purpose algorithms to fairly select optimal solutions, for example, by maximizing the Nash product or the minimum selection probability, or by using a random ordering of the agents as a selection criterion (Random Serial Dictatorship). We also discuss in detail how to extend the proposed methods when agents have cardinal preferences. As such, we embed the “black-box” procedure of solving an integer linear program into a framework that is explainable from start to finish. Lastly, we evaluate the proposed methods on two specific applications, namely kidney exchange (dichotomous preferences), and the scheduling problem of minimizing total tardiness on a single machine (cardinal preferences). We find that while the methods maximizing the Nash product or the minimum selection probability outperform the other methods on the evaluated welfare criteria, methods such as Random Serial Dictatorship perform reasonably well in computation times that are similar to those of finding a single optimal solution.}},
  author       = {{Demeulemeester, Tom and Goossens, Dries and Hermans, Ben and Leus, Roel}},
  issn         = {{0377-2217}},
  journal      = {{EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH}},
  keywords     = {{Integer programming,Fairness,Inequity,Randomization,Column generation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{465--478}},
  title        = {{Fair integer programming under dichotomous and cardinal preferences}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2024.08.023}},
  volume       = {{320}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}

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