Speaking: Saturday morning invited speaker.

Title: Narrow Margins: Winning the Presidency with Minimal Popular Vote.

Abstract: Polya (1961) and Wessel (2012) investigated the hypothetical question of “What is the smallest fraction of the popular vote a candidate can receive and still be elected President of the United States?” What’s your best guess of the answer to this question? This talk will give a thorough account of the dynamics behind the question, pursue a sub-optimal approach, identify a more effective approach, and leave the audience with an invitation to explore some unresolved issues within this topic. A resource with historical data will also be offered to the audience for their continued exploration.

Bio: Russ Goodman is Professor of Mathematics at Central College (Pella, Iowa) and is Officer At-Large on the MAA Board of Directors. He also serves/served the MAA on the Council for Teaching of Undergraduate Mathematics and the Classroom Resource Materials Editorial Board. Russ has been at Central College since 2002 and is also an assistant coach for the Dutch women’s soccer team. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife and two daughters, running, doing origami, watching sports, and enjoying all kinds of music.