A supervised learning approach to rankability

The rankability of data is a novel problem that considers the ability of a dataset, represented as a graph, to produce a meaningful ranking of the items it contains. To study this concept, a number of rankability measures have been proposed, based on comparisons to a complete dominance graph via combinatorial and linear algebraic methods. Interest in this field has been steadily expanding, with a growing appreciation for the significance of evaluating rankability across diverse applications. Consequently, the validation of these rankability methodologies in different scenarios holds paramount importance. In this paper, we review existing measures of rankability and highlight some questions to which they give rise. We go on to introduce a new framework designed to evaluate rankability with a tailored approach, one that allows for efficient estimation in specific problem domains. Finally, we present a comparative analysis of these metrics by applying them to both synthetic and real-life sports data.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Computers & Operations Research
Published
2025-03-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cor.2025.107049
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Multi-Criteria Decision Making
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.11

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

A supervised learning approach to rankability

Nathan McJames, Oliver Mason, David Malone
1 citations
Computers & Operations Research
Multi-Criteria Decision Making
2.11
article

A supervised learning approach to rankability

Nathan McJames, Oliver Mason, David Malone
article en
1 citations

Abstract

The rankability of data is a novel problem that considers the ability of a dataset, represented as a graph, to produce a meaningful ranking of the items it contains. To study this concept, a number of rankability measures have been proposed, based on comparisons to a complete dominance graph via combinatorial and linear algebraic methods. Interest in this field has been steadily expanding, with a growing appreciation for the significance of evaluating rankability across diverse applications. Consequently, the validation of these rankability methodologies in different scenarios holds paramount importance. In this paper, we review existing measures of rankability and highlight some questions to which they give rise. We go on to introduce a new framework designed to evaluate rankability with a tailored approach, one that allows for efficient estimation in specific problem domains. Finally, we present a comparative analysis of these metrics by applying them to both synthetic and real-life sports data.

Computers & Operations ResearchVol. 180
National University of Ireland, Maynooth (IE)
Science Foundation Ireland
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Multi-Criteria Decision Making
2.11
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

A supervised learning approach to rankability — Nathan McJames, Oliver Mason, et al. · Computers & Operations Research (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS