G. Milton Wing Lecture

Public Lecture: It’s an election year! But will voters elect whom they want?

Donald Saari, University of California Irvine

Tuesday, April 19th, 2016
5:00 PM - 6:15 PM
Goergen 101

A contentious election year! But will the outcomes reflect what the voters really want? Is the Oscar winner who the voters really preferred? Surprisingly, mathematics is proving that the way in which the ballots are tallied makes a significant difference in the outcome. So, does a surprise Grammy winner reflect the voters’ intent – or the choice of the voting rule? In this public lecture, where only the ability to count is needed, it is shown how mathematics is explaining many paradoxical election outcomes. Be prepared to leave worried about the last election of importance to you.

Prof. Saari appeared on WXXI Connections, interviewed by Evan Dawon, on April 26, 2016. Here is a link to the podcast of that interview.

Event contact: xchen84 at ur dot rochester dot edu