AASU's Brawner to Lecture on the Apportionment Problem in the U.S. House of Representatives

Savannah, GA—October 1, 2004—James Brawner, associate professor of mathematics at Armstrong Atlantic State University, will give a lecture, "Is There a Mathematician in the House? The Apportionment Problem in the U.S. House of Representatives," as part of the Robert Ingram Strozier Faculty Lecture Series on October 22. The lecture will begin at 12:15 p.m. in University Hall room 156. It is free and open to the public.

In our nation’s infancy, the founding fathers struggled with the practical question of how to apportion the number of representatives from each state to the U.S. House in an equitable manner. No lesser statesmen than Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, and Daniel Webster employed their considerable political and mathematical talents to propose different solutions to this surprisingly subtle problem. The apportionment method currently in use was adopted in 1941, yet even today has many vocal critics. Brawner will examine the intriguing history and mathematics behind this curious problem.

For details, call Jacquie Fraser at 912.921.7315 or by email at fraserja@mail.armstrong.edu.