Homework assignments
- (due Fri., 12/10) Advanced game theory.
- (due Mon., 11/22) Game theory.
- (due Fri., 11/12) Decision trees.
- (due Fri., 11/5) Probability.
- (due Wed., 11/3)
Essay: What effect does the voting system have on the way the election is run?
- The Center for Voting and Democracy advocates instant runoff voting, suggesting among other things that it
"promotes positive, issue-based campaigns because candidates will seek 2nd and 3rd choice votes."
- Compare two types of voting systems actually in use for the same purpose (not necessarily ones we've studied).
- Ideal example: a group has used one election system and replaces it with another; compare the types of elections before and after.
- Your example could be from the political world, or from the sports world, or from entertainment, or any other real-life situation where a single choice is made from among many alternatives.
- Compare: the types of candidates who run in the two systems; the types of campaigns run (positive or negative); and the issues/criteria voters use to determine their votes.
- Do the two systems result in different types of elections? What properties of the system are responsible for differences?
- Grading based on: using a specific real-world example (e.g. not just "the Academy Awards" but the "best documentary" award); specific examples of candidates; depth of analysis; whether all questions were answered; use of sources
- 2-3 pages and at least two sources (they do not have to be scholarly).
- (due Fri., 10/15) Political power.
- (due Fri., 10/8) Voting system properties.
- (due Fri., 10/1) Logic and voting systems.
- (due Fri., 9/24) Introduction to mathematical logic.
- (due Fri., 9/17) Write a short paper (two to three pages) on some aspect of mathematics in society that we have discussed in class. Use at least two references (at least one of which is academic/scholarly), and incorporate things that other students said in class. Identify a difficulty that people have with mathematics, and propose a solution.
- (due Mon., 9/13) Write an essay that briefly answers the following questions:
- What made you sign up for this course (as opposed to some other math course)?
- Do you like math? Give one reason for your answer.
- What was the last math course you had? Did you enjoy it? Why?
- Are you interested in politics? Any issues in particular? Are you planning to vote in the 2004 election?