Motivational Deployment Mechanism For Networked Systems

Abstract

The described implementations relate to networked or distributed systems and more particularly to providing motivation for deployment of networked systems. One technique gathers a solicitation hierarchy in a distributed system. This technique also tracks contribution to the distributed system of participants within the hierarchy. This technique further probabilistically determines a participant as a lottery winner based at least in part on the solicitation hierarchy and the contribution.

1 . One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform actions comprising:
 summing a participant's contributions and the contributions of descendent participants of the participant to identify the participant's total contribution;   applying a convex function to the participant's total contribution to identify a weight corresponding to the participant;   subtracting weights corresponding to child participants of the participant from the weight corresponding to the participant to identify an expected payout corresponding to the participant; and   distributing a payout based at least in part on expected payouts corresponding to multiple participants.   
     
     
         2 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the expected payout is configured to have perceived value from the perspective of the multiple participants. 
     
     
         3 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the expected payout comprises points. 
     
     
         4 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the expected payout comprises probabilities of winning a sweepstakes. 
     
     
         5 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the summing includes the contributions of all of the descendent participants of the participant. 
     
     
         6 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the convex function is based at least on part on an exponential function. 
     
     
         7 . A method of motivating contribution and solicitation by participants in a network system, comprising:
 identifying a participant subtree corresponding to a particular participant;   calculating a weight corresponding to the particular participant based at least in part on the contributions of the participant subtree corresponding to the particular participant; and   calculating an expected payout for the particular participant based at least in part on the particular participant's weight minus the weights of participant subtrees rooted at child participants of the particular participant.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the expected payout comprises probabilities of winning a sweepstakes. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the expected payout comprises points. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the participant subtree includes the particular participant and all other participants referred by any members of the participant subtree. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein calculating the weight corresponding to the particular participant is further based at least in part on a convex function of the contributions of the participant subtree corresponding to the particular participant. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein calculating the weight corresponding to the particular participant is further based at least in part on an exponential function of the contributions of the participant subtree corresponding to the particular participant. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein calculating the weight corresponding to the particular participant is further based at least in part on a convex function of the ratio of (a) the contributions of the participant subtree corresponding to the particular participant and (b) the contributions of multiple participants. 
     
     
         14 . A method of motivating participants of a participatory system, comprising:
 identifying subtrees of participants, wherein each subtree has a root formed by a single participant;   calculating weights of the respective participants, wherein the weight of a particular participant is based at least in part on a convex function of contributions made by the subtree of participants rooted by the particular participant; and   calculating expected payouts for individual participants based at least in part on the calculated weights of the individual participants.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising distributing a payout based at least in part on the expected payouts. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising distributing a payout based at least in part on the expected payouts, wherein the payout comprises lottery chances. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising distributing a payout based at least in part on the expected payouts, wherein the payout comprises points. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein expected payout for the particular participant comprises the weight of the particular participant minus the weights of child participants of the particular participant. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each subtree includes all participants referred by members of that subtree. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the convex function is based at least in part on an exponential function.