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Is that Fair?: Using Mathematics to Address Social Questions and Decisions

Is that Fair?: Using Mathematics to Address Social Questions and Decisions

Cal Van NiewaalFairness is a central tenet of social choice and group decision making. Arriving at decisions that every member of a group perceives as fair can be difficult, if not impossible. So how can individuals and societies arrive at fair decisions when the desires of one party conflict with those of another? This one-week forum presented by Professor Emeritus of Computer Science and John F. Yothers Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Cal Van Niewaal will explore how mathematics can help societies solve such questions and arrive at equitable conclusions that seek fairness for all. While sophisticated mathematical techniques are used to address questions of social choice, the basic ideas of such analyses are accessible to all. Using simple arithmetic, basic geometry and a little middle-school algebra, this forum will explain how math can be used to solve common social questions surrounding things like voting and asset division. The session will begin by using mathematics to examine the rational flaws present in commonly used voting systems. This will lead us to Kenneth Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem, part of the work that earned him a Nobel Prize in Economics. We will then consider how mathematics can help with designing procedures that ensure fair and equitable solutions to other everyday questions and conflicts, such as those involved with asset division, divorce and labor/management negotiations.

Thursday Forum is held in Kesler Auditorium on the first floor of Hickok Hall. Each weekly session begins with registration and refreshments from 8:45-9:15 AM, followed by the lecture until 11:30 AM. The presentations blend lecture, media such as film and music, and discussion.

Admission to each four-week forum series is $40. Admission to individual lectures and each session of two- and three-week forums is $12 per week. Admission includes the lecture and morning refreshments of coffee, tea and pastries. Payment can be made in person on Thursday mornings by cash or personal check. Credit card payments can be processed by registering online in advance at www.coe.edu/why-coe/events/thursday-forum.

In the event of inclement weather, consult local media outlets to find out if the day’s forum will take place.