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Taming the Gerrymander--Statistical Physics Approach to Political Districting Problem

Chung-I Chou, Sai-Ping Li

physics.soc-pharXiv:physics/0511237

Abstract

The Political Districting Problem is mapped to a q-state Potts model in which the constraints can be written as interactions between sites or external fields acting on the system. Districting into q voter districts is equivalent to finding the ground state of this q-state Potts model. We illustrate this by districting Taipei city in its 2008 Legislature Election. Statistical properties of the model are also studied.

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