Volume: 30; 2018; 238 pp; Softcover
MSC: Primary 91;
Print ISBN: 978-1-4704-4287-3
Product Code: MAWRLD/30
List Price: $52.00
AMS Member Price: $41.60
MAA Member Price: $46.80
Electronic ISBN: 978-1-4704-4982-7
Product Code: MAWRLD/30.E
List Price: $52.00
AMS Member Price: $41.60
MAA Member Price: $46.80
You may also like
Supplemental Materials
The Mathematics of Voting and Elections: A Hands-On Approach: Second Edition
Share this pageJonathan K. Hodge; Richard E. Klima
The Mathematics of Voting and Elections: A
Hands-On Approach, Second Edition, is an inquiry-based approach
to the mathematics of politics and social choice. The aim of the book
is to give readers who might not normally choose to engage with
mathematics recreationally the chance to discover some interesting
mathematical ideas from within a familiar context, and to see the
applicability of mathematics to real-world situations. Through this
process, readers should improve their critical thinking and problem
solving skills, as well as broaden their views of what mathematics
really is and how it can be used in unexpected ways. The book was
written specifically for nonmathematical audiences and requires
virtually no mathematical prerequisites beyond basic arithmetic. At
the same time, the questions included are designed to challenge both
mathematical and non-mathematical audiences alike. More than giving
the right answers, this book asks the right questions.
The book is fun to read, with examples that are not just
thought-provoking, but also entertaining. It is written in a style
that is casual without being condescending. But the discovery-based
approach of the book also forces readers to play an active role in
their learning, which should lead to a sense of ownership of the main
ideas in the book. And while the book provides answers to some of the
important questions in the field of mathematical voting theory, it
also leads readers to discover new questions and ways to approach
them.
In addition to making small improvements in all the chapters, this
second edition contains several new chapters. Of particular interest
might be Chapter 12 which covers a host of topics related to
gerrymandering.
Readership
Undergraduate students and general readers interested in mathematical aspects of various voting procedures.
Reviews & Endorsements
The authors should be commended for writing an interesting, historically motivated, mathematically rigorous text that is accessible to a non-mathematical audience...Even though the book is written to be used in an inquiry-based course, the clarity and accessibility of the writing mean that it could still be used as a main reference text in courses that are run in a different fashion...The narrative flow of this material is excellent.
-- David McCune, Mathematical Reviews
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Mathematics of Voting and Elections: A Hands-On Approach: Second Edition
- Cover Cover11
- Title page iii4
- Preface ix10
- Acknowledgments xiii14
- Chapter 1. What’s So Good About Majority Rule? 116
- Chapter 2. Le Pen, Nader, and Other Inconveniences 1530
- Chapter 3. Back into the Ring 3348
- Chapter 4. Trouble in Democracy 5368
- Chapter 5. Explaining the Impossible 7186
- Chapter 6. Gaming the System 91106
- Chapter 7. One Person, One Vote? 105120
- Chapter 8. Calculating Corruption 121136
- Chapter 9. The Ultimate College Experience 143158
- Chapter 10. Trouble in Direct Democracy 163178
- Chapter 11. Proportional (Mis)representation 185200
- The U.S. House of Representatives 186201
- Hamilton’s Apportionment Method 187202
- Jefferson’s Apportionment Method 190205
- Webster’s Apportionment Method 195210
- Three Apportionment Paradoxes 196211
- Hill’s Apportionment Method 198213
- Another Impossibility Theorem 200215
- Concluding Remarks 201216
- Questions for Further Study 202217
- Answers to Starred Questions 205220
- Chapter 12. Choosing Your Voters 207222
- Bibliography 229244
- Index 233248
- Back Cover Back Cover1255