Perceived Fairness in Networks

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Charpentier, Arthur
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Charpentier, Arthur
author_facet Charpentier, Arthur
contents The usual definitions of algorithmic fairness focus on population-level statistics, such as demographic parity or equal opportunity. However, in many social or economic contexts, fairness is not perceived globally, but locally, through an individual's peer network and comparisons. We propose a theoretical model of perceived fairness networks, in which each individual's sense of discrimination depends on the local topology of interactions. We show that even if a decision rule satisfies standard criteria of fairness, perceived discrimination can persist or even increase in the presence of homophily or assortative mixing. We propose a formalism for the concept of fairness perception, linking network structure, local observation, and social perception. Analytical and simulation results highlight how network topology affects the divergence between objective fairness and perceived fairness, with implications for algorithmic governance and applications in finance and collaborative insurance.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_12028
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Perceived Fairness in Networks
Charpentier, Arthur
Theoretical Economics
Computer Science and Game Theory
90B15, 91D30
The usual definitions of algorithmic fairness focus on population-level statistics, such as demographic parity or equal opportunity. However, in many social or economic contexts, fairness is not perceived globally, but locally, through an individual's peer network and comparisons. We propose a theoretical model of perceived fairness networks, in which each individual's sense of discrimination depends on the local topology of interactions. We show that even if a decision rule satisfies standard criteria of fairness, perceived discrimination can persist or even increase in the presence of homophily or assortative mixing. We propose a formalism for the concept of fairness perception, linking network structure, local observation, and social perception. Analytical and simulation results highlight how network topology affects the divergence between objective fairness and perceived fairness, with implications for algorithmic governance and applications in finance and collaborative insurance.
title Perceived Fairness in Networks
topic Theoretical Economics
Computer Science and Game Theory
90B15, 91D30
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.12028