A new knockout tournament seeding method and its axiomatic justification

A new set of axioms and new method (equal gap seeding) are designed. The equal gap seeding is the unique seeding that, under the deterministic domain assumption, satisfies the delayed confrontation, fairness, increasing competitive intensity and equal rank differences axioms. The equal gap seeding is the unique seeding that, under the linear domain assumption, maximizes the probability that the strongest participant is the winner, the strongest two participants are the finalists, the strongest four participants are the quarterfinalists, etc.