MATH 196/296, FALL, 2000 - STUDENT COLLOQUIUM

Time: Wed. October 11, 12:20 - 1:10 P.M.

Place: AP&M 2402

Topology and dynamics of voting

David Meyer

Voting is one aspect of political science which lends itself to mathematical analysis. In the first part of this talk I'll describe the basic result in the subject---Arrow's Theorem---which states that voting "paradoxes" are inevitable under certain reasonable assumptions on voting rules. Situations in which such "paradoxes" arise have been described as "chaotic" in the political science literature. This prompted a political scientist friend---Thad Brown---to ask me if such a statement could be made mathematically precise. In the second part of the talk I'll explain how it can be and discuss some consequences.

Refreshments will be provided