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Numbers Rule:
The Vexing Mathematics of Democracy, from Plato to the Present
George G. Szpiro
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Since the very birth of democracy in ancient Greece, the simple act of
voting has given rise to mathematical paradoxes that have puzzled some
of the greatest philosophers, statesmen, and mathematicians. Numbers
Rule traces the epic quest by these thinkers to create a more
perfect democracy and adapt to the ever-changing demands that each new
generation places on our democratic institutions.
In
a sweeping narrative that combines history, biography, and mathematics,
George Szpiro details the fascinating lives and big ideas of great minds
such as Plato, Pliny the Younger, Ramon Llull, Pierre Simon Laplace,
Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John von Neumann, and Kenneth
Arrow, among many others. Each chapter in this riveting book tells the
story of one or more of these visionaries and the problem they sought to
overcome, like the Marquis de Condorcet, the eighteenth-century French
nobleman who demonstrated that a majority vote in an election might not
necessarily result in a clear winner. Szpiro takes readers from ancient
Greece and Rome to medieval Europe, from the founding of the American
republic and the French Revolution to today's high-stakes elective
politics. He explains how mathematical paradoxes and enigmas can crop up
in virtually any voting arena, from electing a class president, a pope,
or prime minister to the apportionment of seats in Congress.
Numbers Rule describes
the trials and triumphs of the thinkers down through the ages who have
dared the odds in pursuit of a just and equitable democracy.
George G. Szpiro,
PhD, is a mathematician and journalist. He covers Israel and the Middle
East for the Swiss daily newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, for
which he also writes an award-winning monthly column on mathematics. His
books include Poincaré's Prize: The Hundred-Year Quest to Solve One
of Math's Greatest Puzzles (Dutton).
Endorsements:
"'Which candidate is the people's choice?' It's a simple question, and
the answer is anything but. In Numbers Rule, George Szpiro tells
the amazing story of the search for the fairest way of voting, deftly
blending history, biography, and political skullduggery. Everyone
interested in our too-fallible elections should read this
book."--William Poundstone, author of Gaming the Vote: Why Elections
Aren't Fair (and What We Can Do about It)
"Writing a book for a general audience on voting and electoral systems
is a daunting task, but Szpiro succeeds admirably. He completely avoids
technical jargon and focuses on the most important scholars and results
in the field. This book fills a gap in the existing literature."--Hannu
Nurmi, author of Voting Procedures under Uncertainty
"Numbers
Rule focuses on key figures in the development of democracy and on
the mathematics of voting, elections, and apportionment that they
developed. Szpiro pays particular attention to the paradoxes that arise,
and discusses them through examples."--Steven J. Brams, New York
University
"Numbers Rule is very thoroughly researched and quite well
written. The story Szpiro tells is both important and interesting. The
most significant contribution this book makes is in the detailed history
that it presents. It will have broad appeal."--Alan D. Taylor, coauthor
of Mathematics and Politics |
