Title: “The Symmetric Group and Fair Division: Does Knowledge Matter?”Speaker: Brian Hopkins (Saint Peter’s University)Date/Room: Thursday Nov. 9, 2017, 12:00-1:00pm, Namm N720Abstract:Sports drafts and divorce settlements are examples of situations where players take turns selecting indivisible goods. Like other topics in fair division, the situation is made more interesting because people may value the goods in different ways. In this talk, we focus on the case of two players, where the machinery of permutations is surprisingly applicable. How many possible outcomes are there? In what circumstances do both players get their best possible outcomes? How can one best take advantage of knowing the other’s preferences? What happens when a player’s motivation switches from greed to spite, the common good, or selfless altruism? In this colorful talk, we’ll sample some applied algebraic combinatorics and address these issues along with the provocative question of the title.
This talk probably broke the record for the highest attendance for a Math Club talk. (talk slides)
