IE5285: Engineering the Allocation of Public Resources

This course takes an in-depth look at policies governing the allocation of public resources. We will take an engineering perspective, first defining desirable properties (such as efficiency, incentive compatibility, and fairness) and then studying how to design systems with these properties. We will cover static matching algorithms (deferred acceptance, top trading cycles, and quota and reserve systems) as well as dynamic waiting lists and lotteries. Applications covered will include the allocation of public school seats, immigrant and non- immigrant visas, civil service positions, organs from living and deceased donors, affordable housing, and permits for hiking, hunting and fishing. prerequisites: CSE upper div or instructor consent

View on University Catalog