Political Numeracy: Mathematical Perspectives on Our Chaotic Constitution. (Books: a selection of new and notable books of scientific interest).EL NINO Ni·ño n. El Niño. Niño See El Nino. : Unlocking the Secrets of the Master Weather-Maker MICHAEL I Michael I, Byzantine emperor Michael I (Michael Rangabe), d. c.845, Byzantine emperor (811–13), son-in-law of Nicephorus I. He supported orthodoxy against iconoclasm and recalled Theodore of Studium from exile. . MEYERSON How do the logical paradoxes revealed in Kurt Godel's incompleteness theorem explain Kenneth Star's investigation of President Clinton? How does chaos theory chaos theory, in mathematics, physics, and other fields, a set of ideas that attempts to reveal structure in aperiodic, unpredictable dynamic systems such as cloud formation or the fluctuation of biological populations. provide insight into rulings handed down by the Supreme Court? Meyerson reveals answers to these questions by examining the Constitution and our laws through the lens of modern mathematics. While most people wouldn't compare politics to mathematics, Meyerson proves that parallels between the two fields are many and that math influences government. He considers, for instance, how the Electoral College electoral college, in U.S. government, the body of electors that chooses the president and vice president. The Constitution, in Article 2, Section 1, provides: "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, functions. Even before the 2000 presidential election, many people judged this method for electing our leaders as severely flawed. However, Meyerson's mathematical analysis Analysis has its beginnings in the rigorous formulation of calculus. It is the branch of mathematics most explicitly concerned with the notion of a limit, whether the limit of a sequence or the limit of a function. of other methods of election shows them to be flawed as well and in fact indicates that our current system is as good as possible. Meyerson explains how the game theory of John Nash--the mathematician whose life is depicted in the current movie A Beautiful Mind--can help clarify some political issues unfolding today. Norton, 2002, 287 p., hardcover, $24.95. |
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