The Mathematics of Card Shuffling

There’s a lot of great mathematics hidden in a deck of cards.  Some can be used to understand shuffling, and some can be used for ‘mathematical’ card tricks—no sleight of hand required.

Francis Su is a Professor Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. He studies the application of combinatorics, geometry, and topology to problems in the social sciences. One example is the subject of “fair division”: developing usable algorithms for dividing assets or liabilities fairly among several people, so that each is satisfied. This research was picked up in a news story by the New York Times. Other recent research includes applications of convex geometry to the study of voting problems.

All are welcome. Sponsored by Phi Beta Kappa and the Department of Mathematics/Statistics.