海角乱伦社区 Mathematics Lecture to Focus on Paradoxes in Single Transferable Vote Elections
April 2, 2024 鈥� 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 annual J. Malcolm Good Mathematics Lecture on Tuesday, April 16, will feature a timely discussion on 鈥淧aradoxes of Negative and Positive Involvement in Single Transferable Vote Elections.鈥� The event will be held in the Jenkin and Barbara David Theater inside Alumni Hall on the University鈥檚 flagship Parkville Campus starting at 3 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
The feature speaker will be David McCune, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo. In his talk, McCune will explore how these paradoxes can occur, focusing on past political elections in the U.S. and Scotland, and how they can represent mathematical irrationality at the heart of single transferable voting method.
鈥淚magine you were a candidate for a political office and you鈥檝e just lost a close election. You ask your campaign manager, 鈥業s there any way I could have won?鈥� and the manager responds, 鈥榊ou could have won if the turnout of voters who dislike you were increased,鈥欌�� McCune said. 鈥淲ould you assume you had misheard? How could it be possible that it鈥檚 better for your electoral chances to increase the turnout of people who don鈥檛 support you?鈥�
Interestingly, McCune added 鈥淲hen using the election procedure of single transferable vote, a voting method widely used throughout the world, it is sometimes possible that a losing candidate could be turned into a winner if more of that candidate鈥檚 non-supporters cast ballots. Similarly, it is sometimes possible that a winning candidate can be turned into a loser if we increase turnout among that candidate鈥檚 supporters.鈥�
McCune earned both his doctorate degree and Master of Science degree in mathematics from the University of Nebraska 鈥� Lincoln, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and mathematics from Baylor University.
海角乱伦社区鈥檚 J. Malcolm Good Institute for Undergraduate Research promotes scholarly and creative activities in mathematical sciences at an undergraduate level. It supports undergraduate research via funding for resources and travel support for research purposes, as well as provides competitive scholarships to exceptional mathematics students.