Gems of Algorithms and Elections

4.0 credits

This course covers gems from the study of elections and the study of algorithms. Students do not need to have previous exposure to either of those topics. Most of the class's work is done via in-class, hands-on, team-based problem-solving, and discussion of the solutions. Topics vary between years, but typical topics include how to fairly apportion (e.g., assign to states their number of seats in the US House of Representatives); using algorithms to manipulate elections and using complexity to protect elections from manipulative attacks; and the interaction between algorithms and information content. The course is designed to be accessible to any student from CSC, ECON, MATH, or PSCI who likes tackling problems as part of a team and discussing the solutions