Research in Mathematics and Public Policy

Book excerpt: This volume features a variety of research projects at the intersection of mathematics and public policy. The topics included here fall in the areas of cybersecurity and climate change, two broad and impactful issues that benefit greatly from mathematical techniques. Each chapter in the book is a mathematical look into a specific research question related to one of these issues, an approach that offers the reader insight into the application of mathematics to important public policy questions. The articles in this volume are papers inspired by a Workshop for Women in Mathematics and Public Policy, held January 22-25, 2019 at the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics and the Luskin Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. The workshop was created to promote and develop women at all levels of their careers as researchers in mathematics and public policy. The idea was modeled after other successful Research Collaboration Conferences for Women, where junior and senior women come together at week-long conferences held at mathematics institutes to work on pre-defined research projects. The workshop focused on how mathematics can be used in public policy research and was designed to foster collaborative networks for women to help address the gender gap in mathematics and science.