CONN 162 | Mathematics and Democracy

To what extent is the United States achieving the ideal of "one person, one vote," and what role should mathematics play in democracy? In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in Allen v. Milligan that Alabama's congressional map violated the Voting Rights Act by discriminating against Black voters. The majority opinion contains numerous references to the work of a geometer. This course explores the mathematics used to quantify gerrymandering, as well as other mathematical problems that arise in democracy, such as determining proportional representation and selecting a fair and practical voting system. The course is grounded in mathematics but also draws from the perspective of political science.