Description

In the news lately, we hear the term "gerrymandering" tossed around to describe the act of nefariously drawing political districts for the benefit of a particular group of people (usually a political party).  The legality of this practice varies from state to state.  But even if (political) gerrymandering were declared to be illegal right now, how could we tell if a district or slate of districts has been gerrymandered?  What we need is a precise, mathematical definition.  One that lacks ambiguity.  One that can be tested and provide unambiguous results.  And one simple enough for lawyers, judges, and the public to understand.  In today’s workshop, we'll explore which properties such a definition might have.  In other words, we're not going to use a definition to establish a result -- we're going to try to create a logical definition in the first place.  Doing this will be surprisingly difficult, but will illustrate the types of approaches that mathematicians use when working on problems they don't know how to solve.  Along the way, you'll get to meet new people, learn some history, and perhaps understand our country's laws a bit better.  And snacks, too!

Bio

Ryan Gantner is a Professor of Mathematics and Associate Director of the Honors Program at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY.  Professionally, he is interested in working with students on fun and interesting mathematical topics, such as combinatorial games, probability models, and the mathematics surrounding gerrymandering.  Outside of work, he can be found riding his bicycle across the USA, hiking, or spending time with his family.