Date: April 10, 2025
Speakers: Thomas Johnstone
Title: Envy-free cake-cutting
Abstract: We’ve all had this problem: Mom made delicious cake, and we each want as much as possible of that cake. What should we do? If there are only two siblings who want cake, then the maybe fairest method is the “I cut, you choose” procedure, a method known and used since antiquity. However, when there are three siblings who want cake, the problem becomes much more difficult and interesting. This question sparked an entire new research area called envy-free cake-cutting, and a solution of this question for three people was discovered only about 60 years ago. This talk will be accessible to anyone who likes cake and knows the pain of envy.