Monday, January 30, 2023, 11:30 AM – 1 PM EST
Vicki Powers, Professor of Mathematics
"How to Choose A Winner"
Did you ever wonder why elections often produce results that nobody seems to like? Is democracy - in the sense of reflecting the will of the people - impossible? Surprisingly, mathematics can help answer questions like these about voting, elections, and representative government. In this talk we will explore the mathematics of voting, look at some paradoxes and bad outcomes that can and do happen in real life. We will explore the following question: If we are choosing a winner from a set of candidates, how can we use the preferences of the individual voter to decide on the best choice for the winner?