Author Archives: F. E. Guerra-Pujol

July 19 is the 200th day of the year, so we interrupt our series of blog posts on Bayesian voting to wish our loyal followers good tidings. What will the next 100 days bring? In the meantime, enjoy …

In my previous blog post, I showed how the outcome of an appeal can depend on the type of voting rule appellate courts use to decide cases, and I mentioned a possible solution to this paradox: bayesian voting. In brief, … Continue reading →

Imagine a case or controversy C presenting two separate legal issues: standing and sovereign immunity. Specifically, (1) does plaintiff P have standing to sue, and (2) is defendant D (a governmental entity) entitled to assert the defense of sovereign immunity, … Continue reading →

Instructions, via Dexter See: “Form a circle with Skittles on a plate (colours should be in repeated order, preferably according to colours of the rainbow e.g. purple, green, yellow, orange, red), then pour hot water over them.” (Hat tip: The … Continue reading →

The entry in Wikipedia for “single-peaked preferences” explains this concept in three different ways: in words, then using formal mathematical notation, and then with a simple image. First, the concept is defined in words: 

Compelling stories all share a similar structure (see image below), even stories as radically different as the simple plot line in the movie Trolls or the complex one in the series Breaking Bad. For more, check out this essay by Cristina … Continue reading →

Shout out to our student Nathalies Amitie! During this morning’s Summer B lecture, she posed a great question about JAY-Z and Beyoncé’s decision to trademark the names of their newborn twins (Rumi and Sir, for the record). After all, why get … Continue reading →

The burden of proof is a key feature of legal trials. In brief, in order to secure a conviction in a criminal case or an award of money damages in a civil case, the moving party must produce sufficient evidence or proof that … Continue reading →