Robin Hood Math: Take Control of the Algorithms That Run Your Life

In this cogent and breezy account, Giansiracusa (How Algorithms Create and Prevent Fake News), a math professor at Bentley University, sets out to take “the power of math from the rich and give it to the poor.” He takes special aim at personal data usage, writing that it “turns us all into numerical grist,” and he encourages individuals to fight back by better understanding the math used by both the public and private sector. For instance, he dissects the rankings of American colleges by U.S. News and World Report, noting that the factor with the biggest weight in the ranking calculation (“how a school is regarded by top administrators at other institutions”) amounts to “a popularity contest,” and detailing how readers can create their own rankings based on such factors as the weather and the student-faculty ratio. Elsewhere, Giansiracusa explains that while the algorithm used by Facebook shows a user similar content after any interaction, even an angry comment, the angry face emoji doesn’t count as an interaction, making it “a convenient way to tell the poster how you feel without also telling the algorithm you want more.” Throughout, Giansiracusa optimistically illustrates how math can help an individual regain autonomy and makes a solid case that it “can help you consider your options more clearly and make your decisions more thoughtfully.” This successfully brings math to the people. (Aug.)