Chapter ! Facets of Fairness : Equal Share , Equal Chance and Uniform Mechanisms !

Fairness is a notion of universal importance – whether we play, compete or trade with each other, we tend to strive for situations in which everyone feels treated fairly. Conversely, lack of fairness burdens human relations, producing tension, discontent and frustration. But what exactly is fairness? How can it be created, protected and enforced? What, apart from our innate perceptions, signals its presence or absence? Can we detect and measure it? This chapter attempts to approach this latter question from a technical perspective. While this perspective is necessarily limited in its scope, we believe that it can contribute meaningfully to a debate focussed on social and psychological aspects of a notion that is fundamental to the way we interact with each other, yet elusive to quantitative, analytical approaches.