Comments on: Electoral hex http://bit-player.org/2008/electoral-hex An amateur's outlook on computation and mathematics. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:07:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Jon Sneyers http://bit-player.org/2008/electoral-hex#comment-1681 Jon Sneyers Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:19:21 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=138#comment-1681 > I get to cast my ballot on May 6 in North Carolina. All I’m saying for now is that I’m not voting for Ralph Nader. Why not? > I get to cast my ballot on May 6 in North Carolina. All I’m saying for now is that I’m not voting for Ralph Nader.

Why not?

]]> By: Paul Zorn http://bit-player.org/2008/electoral-hex#comment-1648 Paul Zorn Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:59:32 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=138#comment-1648 Barry Cipra is (as usual) too gentle ... in fact, NY state seals off *six* states: Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. But what the heck ... those states are full of godless liberals anyway. Barry Cipra is (as usual) too gentle … in fact, NY state seals off *six* states: Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. But what the heck … those states are full of godless liberals anyway.

]]> By: brian http://bit-player.org/2008/electoral-hex#comment-1647 brian Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:05:25 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=138#comment-1647 Maine too. Connects only through N.H. Maine too. Connects only through N.H.

]]> By: Barry Cipra http://bit-player.org/2008/electoral-hex#comment-1646 Barry Cipra Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:33:27 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=138#comment-1646 Come to think of it, Connecticut and Rhode Island are both screwed, because they're both sealed off by Massachusetts and New York. I think that's it though (not counting Alaska and Hawaii, of course). Come to think of it, Connecticut and Rhode Island are both screwed, because they’re both sealed off by Massachusetts and New York. I think that’s it though (not counting Alaska and Hawaii, of course).

]]> By: brian http://bit-player.org/2008/electoral-hex#comment-1645 brian Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:54:02 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=138#comment-1645 Right about Rhode Island. And South Carolina is another unfortunate wedge state. Are there any others? I don't think so. But there is the potential for conflict over the Four Corners intersection: Should, say, Utah and New Mexico be allowed as links in a chain? Perhaps it's not electoral practices that need reform but American geography? It's time to make the country a proper game board. Right about Rhode Island. And South Carolina is another unfortunate wedge state. Are there any others? I don’t think so. But there is the potential for conflict over the Four Corners intersection: Should, say, Utah and New Mexico be allowed as links in a chain?

Perhaps it’s not electoral practices that need reform but American geography? It’s time to make the country a proper game board.

]]> By: Barry Cipra http://bit-player.org/2008/electoral-hex#comment-1644 Barry Cipra Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:07:16 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=138#comment-1644 It wouldn't be too hard (or would it?) to guarantee a winner by persuading the states to hold primaries on different days. However there's another problem with your proposal: It effectively disenfranchises the residents of Rhode Island. Because Rhode Island is sealed off by the coastal states of Massachusetts and Connecticut, which also border each other, there is no scenario in which the outcome in Rhode Island can swing the nomination -- Rhode Island is never needed to complete either and east-west or a north-south chain. It wouldn’t be too hard (or would it?) to guarantee a winner by persuading the states to hold primaries on different days. However there’s another problem with your proposal: It effectively disenfranchises the residents of Rhode Island. Because Rhode Island is sealed off by the coastal states of Massachusetts and Connecticut, which also border each other, there is no scenario in which the outcome in Rhode Island can swing the nomination — Rhode Island is never needed to complete either and east-west or a north-south chain.

]]> By: brian http://bit-player.org/2008/electoral-hex#comment-1643 brian Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:55:51 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=138#comment-1643 > On your US hex board are we always guaranteed a winner? Now that you mention it, no. Although it can't happen in the present configuration, it's easy to construct maps where two or more states hold their primaries simultaneously and both candidates form a cross-country chain at the same time. (The two chains will either both be east-west or both north-south.) In standard hex, that's not possible because one player strives to connect north with south and the other tries to link east and west. If one succeeds, the other is necessarily blocked. This is a serious flaw. So I revise my proposal. Instead of treating the state primaries as a gigantic game board, we'll just let the two candidates sit down together for a cozy game of hex—winner take all. > On your US hex board are we always guaranteed a winner?

Now that you mention it, no. Although it can’t happen in the present configuration, it’s easy to construct maps where two or more states hold their primaries simultaneously and both candidates form a cross-country chain at the same time. (The two chains will either both be east-west or both north-south.) In standard hex, that’s not possible because one player strives to connect north with south and the other tries to link east and west. If one succeeds, the other is necessarily blocked.

This is a serious flaw. So I revise my proposal. Instead of treating the state primaries as a gigantic game board, we’ll just let the two candidates sit down together for a cozy game of hex—winner take all.

]]> By: Jim Ward http://bit-player.org/2008/electoral-hex#comment-1642 Jim Ward Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:21:29 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=138#comment-1642 On your US hex board are we always guaranteed a winner? On your US hex board are we always guaranteed a winner?

]]> By: Barry Cipra http://bit-player.org/2008/electoral-hex#comment-1641 Barry Cipra Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:31:08 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=138#comment-1641 I would suggest calling this political version of hex "pox" -- as in "A pox on both your parties!" I would suggest calling this political version of hex “pox” — as in “A pox on both your parties!”

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