MAT40J: Mathematics of Social Justice
Covers mathematical methods needed to analyze impacts of public policy with a particular emphasis on identifying undesirable outcomes such as discrimination, systematic bias and inequity.
This one-term course covers mathematical methods needed to analyze impacts of public policy with a particular emphasis on identifying undesirable outcomes such as discrimination, systematic bias, and inequity. Students will learn how to analyze empirical data using mathematical methods and uncover ways that public policy and other factors contribute to systematic oppression and other negative outcomes for identifiable groups in the United States. We will study gerrymandering, voter suppression, mandatory minimums, inequity in the justice system, healthcare inequity, and wealth disparity. Techniques and concepts will be selected from probability theory, hypothesis testing, statistical inference, graph theory, combinatorics, dynamical systems, and mathematical modeling.