“The Geometry of Redistricting,” by Daniel Swenson, associate professor of mathematics

Legislative district lines for the US House of Representatives (and also state legislatures around the nation) will be redrawn following the 2020 Census. Legislators have an incentive to propose boundary lines that will protect their own chances of re-election, and that will benefit their own party in other races.

Intentionally drawing districts for the purpose of political gain is called “gerrymandering.” We’ll investigate how people are using geometry to tell how “gerrymandered” a district is, and we’ll look at the role math can play in legal issues relating to redistricting and civil rights.