Mathematics in Politics and Governance
Mathematics in Politics and Governance

Author: Francisco J. Aragón-Artacho

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2024

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 3031527763

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Zusammenfassung: This book presents the mathematical tools that politicians use to make rational decisions about health, education, culture, economy, finance, transportation, and national defense for their citizens. The selection of topics addressed is based on the experiences of four veteran politicians who have doctorates or master's degrees in mathematics. The exposition also considers the mathematical tools used by politicians to capture votes or optimize their impact on the design of electoral districts, i.e., gerrymandering, without forgetting the mathematics applied to parliamentary activity and political science. Aimed at a general educated readership, a basic knowledge of mathematics is the only requisite to understanding most of the book. Certain sections, denoted in the book with a star, contain more advanced material and require some knowledge of undergraduate math. A later chapter is dedicated to applications and techniques of machine learning and the final chapter discusses a variety of cases where political decisions have affected mathematical development. Readers gravitating towards this book are those who are curious about the history of mathematics, including optimizers and mathematicians who would like to learn more about the historical roots of their discipline. There will also be strong appeal to mathematically-oriented economists, political scientists, and people generally interested in mathematics. Mathematics is - or it should be! - an important part of our culture. The impact of mathematics is sometimes silent, but a powerful one. The authors of this book did an incredible work in digging out areas of mathematical reasoning that pervades social and political life. Reading this book, we will all enrich our vision of mathematics' value for society. (Nuno Crato, Professor of Applied Mathematics, University of Lisbon, former minister of Education and Science of Portugal 2011-2015) This monograph shows in an impressive way that mathematics can be very helpful in making and evaluating political decisions and that it is indispensable in the progressive penetration of all areas of society with scientific methods. This also includes politics. Not everything in politics can be justified or related to mathematics, but politics should not be made in contradiction to mathematical truths. For me, this is a central message of this publication. (Johanna Wanka, Professor of Applied Mathematics, Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, former Minister of Education and Research, Germany 2013-2018)

Mathematics and Politics
Mathematics and Politics

Author: Alan D. Taylor

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2009-12-29

Total Pages: 378

ISBN-13: 0387776435

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As a text for an undergraduate mathematics course for nonmajors, Mathematics and Politics requires no prerequisites in either area while the underlying philosophy involves minimizing algebraic computations and focusing instead on some conceptual aspects of mathematics in the context of important real-world questions in political science. Five major topics are covered including a model of escalation, game theoretic models of international conflict, yes-no voting systems, political power, and social choice. Each topic is discussed in an introductory chapter and revisited in more depth in a later chapter. This new edition has added co-author, Allison Pacelli, and two new chapters on "Fairness" and "More Fairness." The examples and the exercises have been updated and enhanced throughout. Reviews from first edition: This book is well written and has much math of interest. While it is pitched at a non-math audience there is material here that will be new and interesting to the readers... -Sigact News For mathematicians, Taylor's book shows how the social sciences make use of mathematical thinking, in the form of axiomatic systems, and offers a chance to teach this kind of thinking to our students. - The College Mathematics Journal The writing is crisp and the sense of excitement about learning mathematics is seductive. The political conflict examples are well thought out and clear. -Michael C. Munger

The Mathematics of Elections and Voting
The Mathematics of Elections and Voting

Author: W.D. Wallis

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-10-08

Total Pages: 103

ISBN-13: 3319098101

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This title takes an in-depth look at the mathematics in the context of voting and electoral systems, with focus on simple ballots, complex elections, fairness, approval voting, ties, fair and unfair voting, and manipulation techniques. The exposition opens with a sketch of the mathematics behind the various methods used in conducting elections. The reader is lead to a comprehensive picture of the theoretical background of mathematics and elections through an analysis of Condorcet’s Principle and Arrow’s Theorem of conditions in electoral fairness. Further detailed discussion of various related topics include: methods of manipulating the outcome of an election, amendments, and voting on small committees. In recent years, electoral theory has been introduced into lower-level mathematics courses, as a way to illustrate the role of mathematics in our everyday life. Few books have studied voting and elections from a more formal mathematical viewpoint. This text will be useful to those who teach lower level courses or special topics courses and aims to inspire students to understand the more advanced mathematics of the topic. The exercises in this text are ideal for upper undergraduate and early graduate students, as well as those with a keen interest in the mathematics behind voting and elections.

Economy, Politics and Governance Challenges for the 21st Century
Economy, Politics and Governance Challenges for the 21st Century

Author: Víctor M. González-Sánchez

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781634840132

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The main objective of this book is to analyse some of the major challenges of the world during the twenty-first century from a multidisciplinary perspective. Global problems do not always have a unique approach, and the study of these problems requires a research effort based on a rigorous and understandable methodology. From this idea, the works contained in each chapter demonstrate the existence of significant links between economics, politics and governance. This book is divided based on these three subjects. One part of the book contains a study of the global economic situation and its existing inequalities. From there, some challenges related to matters such as entrepreneurship and financial literacy will be addressed. On the other hand, political inequality and democratic shortcomings -- along with the international geopolitical reality -- are the common thread that tie together other chapters of the book. Both a national perspective and regional cross comparison are present within this book. Finally, different analyses related to governance complete the third block of this catalog. In this regard, the important influence that the economy and functioning policies have on the governance of states and decision making processes is noted.

A Mathematics Course for Political and Social Research
A Mathematics Course for Political and Social Research

Author: Will H. Moore

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2013-08-11

Total Pages: 450

ISBN-13: 0691159173

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Political science and sociology increasingly rely on mathematical modeling and sophisticated data analysis, and many graduate programs in these fields now require students to take a "math camp" or a semester-long or yearlong course to acquire the necessary skills. Available textbooks are written for mathematics or economics majors, and fail to convey to students of political science and sociology the reasons for learning often-abstract mathematical concepts. A Mathematics Course for Political and Social Research fills this gap, providing both a primer for math novices in the social sciences and a handy reference for seasoned researchers. The book begins with the fundamental building blocks of mathematics and basic algebra, then goes on to cover essential subjects such as calculus in one and more than one variable, including optimization, constrained optimization, and implicit functions; linear algebra, including Markov chains and eigenvectors; and probability. It describes the intermediate steps most other textbooks leave out, features numerous exercises throughout, and grounds all concepts by illustrating their use and importance in political science and sociology. Uniquely designed and ideal for students and researchers in political science and sociology Uses practical examples from political science and sociology Features "Why Do I Care?" sections that explain why concepts are useful Includes numerous exercises Complete online solutions manual (available only to professors, email david.siegel at duke.edu, subject line "Solution Set") Selected solutions available online to students

Industrial Mathematics
Industrial Mathematics

Author: C. R. MacCluer

Publisher:

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13:

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This book provides a concise, single-source survey of all the mathematics most useful in industry today-- particularly modeling and the unit $. Each chapter begins with a brief review of some relevant mathematics; then introduces the industrial extension of this same material via typical real-world applications. The power of interweaving analytic with computing methods during problem solving is demonstrated throughout and MATLAB code is integrated into the flow of the narrative. A chapter on Technical Writing--covering formal technical reports, memos, progress reports, executive summaries, problem statements, overhead projector presentations--shows how to best present mathematical data in a variety of situations. Statistical Reasoning. Monte Carlo Methods. Data Acquisition and Manipulation. The Discrete Fourier Transform. Linear Programming. Regression. Cost Benefit Analysis. Microeconomics. Ordinary Differential Equations. Frequency Domain Methods. Partial Differential Equations. Divided Differences. Galerkin's Method. Splines. A handbook or reference for Engineers, Project Managers, Mathematical Consultants, Statisticians for a quick study of mathematical issues that may arise in the workplace.

The Mathematics of Voting and Apportionment
The Mathematics of Voting and Apportionment

Author: Sherif El-Helaly

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2019-05-21

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13: 3030147681

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This textbook contains a rigorous exposition of the mathematical foundations of two of the most important topics in politics and economics: voting and apportionment, at the level of upper undergraduate and beginning graduate students. It stands out among comparable books by providing, in one volume, an extensive and mathematically rigorous treatment of these two topics. The text’s three chapters cover social choice, yes-no voting, and apportionment, respectively, and can be covered in any order, allowing teachers ample flexibility. Each chapter begins with an elementary introduction and several examples to motivate the concepts and to gradually lead to more advanced material. Landmark theorems are presented with detailed and streamlined proofs; those requiring more complex proofs, such as Arrow’s theorems on dictatorship, Gibbard’s theorem on oligarchy, and Gärdenfors’ theorem on manipulation, are broken down into propositions and lemmas in order to make them easier to grasp. Simple and intuitive notations are emphasized over non-standard, overly complicated symbols. Additionally, each chapter ends with exercises that vary from computational to “prove or disprove” types. The Mathematics of Voting and Apportionment will be particularly well-suited for a course in the mathematics of voting and apportionment for upper-level undergraduate and beginning graduate students in economics, political science, or philosophy, or for an elective course for math majors. In addition, this book will be a suitable read for to any curious mathematician looking for an exposition to these unpublicized mathematical applications. No political science prerequisites are needed. Mathematical prerequisites (included in the book) are minimal: elementary concepts in combinatorics, graph theory, order relations, and the harmonic and geometric means. What is needed most is the level of maturity that enables the student to think logically, derive results from axioms and hypotheses, and intuitively grasp logical notions such as “contrapositive” and “counterexample.”

The Politics and Governance of Basic Education
The Politics and Governance of Basic Education

Author: Brian Levy

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018-08-24

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 0192557351

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This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International licence. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. All over the world, economic inclusion has risen to the top of the development discourse. A well-performing education system is central to achieving inclusive development - but the challenge of improving educational outcomes has proven to be unexpectedly difficult. Access to education has increased, but quality remains low, with weaknesses in governance comprising an important part of the explanation. The Politics and Governance of Basic Education explores the balance between hierarchical and horizontal institutional arrangements for the public provision of basic education. Using the vivid example of South Africa, a country that had ambitious goals at the outset of its transition from apartheid to democracy, it explores how the interaction of politics and institutions affects educational outcomes. By examining lessons learned from how South Africa failed to achieve many of its goals, it constructs an innovative alternative strategy for making process, combining practical steps to achieve incremental gains to re-orient the system towards learning.

Mathematics for Social Justice: Resources for the College Classroom
Mathematics for Social Justice: Resources for the College Classroom

Author: Gizem Karaali

Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.

Published: 2019-07-09

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 1470449269

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Mathematics for Social Justice offers a collection of resources for mathematics faculty interested in incorporating questions of social justice into their classrooms. The book begins with a series of essays from instructors experienced in integrating social justice themes into their pedagogy; these essays contain political and pedagogical motivations as well as nuts-and-bolts teaching advice. The heart of the book is a collection of fourteen classroom-tested modules featuring ready-to-use activities and investigations for the college mathematics classroom. The mathematical tools and techniques used are relevant to a wide variety of courses including college algebra, math for the liberal arts, calculus, differential equations, discrete mathematics, geometry, financial mathematics, and combinatorics. The social justice themes include human trafficking, income inequality, environmental justice, gerrymandering, voting methods, and access to education. The volume editors are leaders of the national movement to include social justice material into mathematics teaching. Gizem Karaali is Associate Professor of Mathematics at Pomona College. She is one of the founding editors of The Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, and an associate editor for The Mathematical Intelligencer and Numeracy ; she also serves on the editorial board of the MAA's Carus Mathematical Monographs. Lily Khadjavi is Associate Professor of Mathematics at Loyola Marymount University and is a past co-chair of the Infinite Possibilities Conference. She has served on the boards of Building Diversity in Science, the Barbara Jordan-Bayard Rustin Coalition, and the Harvard Gender and Sexuality Caucus.

The American Science of Politics
The American Science of Politics

Author: Prof. Bernard Crick

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2006-10-19

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 1134685769

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Originally published between 1943 and 1969, the volumes in the International Library of Sociology Political Sociology set were written against a backdrop of rapid and radical political change. Covering topics as wide-ranging as European federalism, democracy and dictatorship and voting, these titles are as relevant today as when they were first published.