The many routes to the ubiquitous Bradley-Terry model
Statistics Theory
2025-08-08 v2 Other Statistics
Statistics Theory
Abstract
The rating of items based on pairwise comparisons has been a topic of statistical investigation for many decades. Numerous approaches have been proposed. One of the best known is the Bradley-Terry model. This paper seeks to assemble and explain a variety of motivations for its use. Some are based on principles or on maximising an objective function; others are derived from well-known statistical models, or stylised game scenarios. They include both examples well-known in the literature as well as what are believed to be novel presentations.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2312.13619,
title = {The many routes to the ubiquitous Bradley-Terry model},
author = {Ian Hamilton and Nick Tawn and David Firth},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2312.13619},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
To be published in Statistical Science