Friedrich Kluempen
SUNY at Binghamton
DIVIDING A CAKE AMONG HUNGRY SIBLINGS: CAN IT BE DONE WITHOUT A FOOD FIGHT?
What do allocating territory to
the victors of a war, dividing up chores among siblings, and cutting a
cake have in common?
All these problems involve a given
number of "players", whose goal it is to evenly divide some "object" among
themselves. Can this be done? Can we find a way to make everyone happy?
If only 2 people are involved, the solution is this: One person cuts the
cake and the other chooses the piece they prefer.
Can we find a solution that is guaranteed to be fair and just when
3 or more parties are involved, or is a food fight inevitable?
This talk is accesible at all
levels.
Friedrich Kluempen is currently
studying for a PhD at SUNY Binghamton with his research focused on Algebra.
He received his B.A. in Mathematics from SUNY Binghamton in 1994, and his
M.A., also from SUNY Binghamton, in 1997. He is a fellow in the "Preparing
Future Faculty" Program in the Department of Mathematical Sciences.