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ERIC Number: EJ971015
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Sep
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0746-8342
EISSN: N/A
Gerrymandering and Convexity
Hodge, Jonathan K.; Marshall, Emily; Patterson, Geoff
College Mathematics Journal, v41 n4 p312-324 Sep 2010
Convexity-based measures of shape compactness provide an effective way to identify irregularities in congressional district boundaries. A low convexity coefficient may suggest that a district has been gerrymandered, or it may simply reflect irregularities in the corresponding state boundary. Furthermore, the distribution of population within a district can either amplify or lessen the effects of boundary irregularities. As such, it is essential to take both population data and state boundaries into account when using convexity coefficients to detect gerrymandering. Our boundary-adjusted convexity coefficient provides an efficient way to do so, and it yields results similar to the shortest--path approach taken by Chambers and Miller.
Mathematical Association of America. 1529 Eighteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-741-9415; Tel: 202-387-5200; Fax: 202-387-1208; e-mail: maahq@maa.org; Web site: http://www.maa.org/pubs/cmj.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A