Michael T Catalano|Tanya Leise|Thomas J. Pfaff
Measuring Resource Inequality: The Gini Coefficient
Dakota Wesleyan University|Amherst College|Ithaca College
paper stems work done authors mathematics social justice workshop held june 2007 middlebury collegewe provide description gini coefficient discussion used promote quantitative literacy skills mathematics coursesthe gini coefficient introduced 1921 italian statistician corrado gini measure inequalityit defined twice area two curvesone lorenz curve given population respect given resource represents cumulative percentage resource function cumulative percentage population shares percentage resourcethe second curve line x lorenz curve population shares resource equallythe gini coefficient interpreted percentage inequality represented population respect given resourcewe propose gini coefficient used enhance students understanding calculus concepts provide practice students using calculus quantitative literacy skillsour examples based mainly distribution energy resources using publicly available data energy information agency united states governmentfor energy resources within united states find household gini coefficient 0346 using 51 data points represented states washington dc gini coefficient 0158when consider countries world population 210 gini coefficient 0670we close ideas questions posed students discussion experiences two mathematics instructors incorporating gini coefficient precalculuslevel mathematics classes