- This event has passed.
Public Lecture – Political Geometry: How and Why Shapes Matter for Voting Districts
November 6, 2017 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
The Association for Women in Mathematics Presents
Political Geometry: How and Why Shapes Matter for Voting Districts
A public lecture by Dr. Moon Duchin.
For elections from the U.S. House of Representatives down to school boards and city councils, representatives are often chosen by tallying the most votes in a district, delineated by a shape on the map. Gerrymandering is the abuse of the districting pen to promote unfair outcomes, and it’s widely associated with funny-shaped districts.
What’s the link between shapes and fairness? Why does North Carolina seem to be ground zero for modern gerrymandering? And how can geometry interact with law, politics, and civil rights to help rein it in? This talk will provide an overview and some very concrete goals as we collectively get ready for the next national round of redistricting.
Dr. Duchin founded the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group to study applications of geometry and computing to redistricting issues. The group organizes interdisciplinary workshops across the country that include expert witness training. Her work has been featured on the Radiolab spinoff podcast More Perfect and has been featured in news stories from CBS , The New Yorker , NBC , Quanta Magazine , and more! You can RSVP on Facebook (appreciated, but not required!)
Monday, November 6th
Genome Sciences Building, Auditorium G200
Refreshments at 6:00
Lecture at 6:30
20 minute Q&A