The Banzhaf Power Index and Weighted Voting Systems by Annie Lu '23, Mathematics Colloquium

The Banzhaf Power Index and Weighted Voting Systems by Annie Lu ’23, Mathematics Colloquium, Monday, February 20, 1 – 1:45 pm, North Science Building 113, Wachenheim.

Abstract:  How can we quantify the amount of “power” that a given voter has in a weighted voting system?  The Banzhaf power index is one such measurement of voting power that seeks to describe a voter’s importance in influencing the outcome of a vote.  In this talk, I will define the Banzhaf index, present four axioms that describe properties on a power index, and prove the first part of a theorem that states these four axioms uniquely determine the Banzhaf index.