Problem Set Students Copy

1. In todays world, women by and large make less than their male counterparts for
the same work and hours. Matrix A represents the ethnic breakdown the labor
force by gender. Matrix B represents the median weekly earnings of workers who
are 16 and older by gender.
!!"#
!"#$%
!"#$%
!"#$%&

!"#$%!!"!!!!!"#$%!!"#$%
53, 615
8, 485
4, 307
10, 177

!"#$!! !!!""#$%!!"#$%& !!"#

$722
!"!! !!!""#$%!!"#$%&
$884

a) What is the size of matrix:

A?

!"#!!"!!!!!"#$%!!"#$%
64, 531
9, 616
4, 498
13, 918
!"#$%
$606
$664

!"#$% !"#$%&
$819
$514
$1059 $594

= !!!!

=!

B?

b) What would matrix AB tell us? BA? Are they the same?

c) Find matrix BA.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1

Statistics adapted from: http://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cpseea04.htm; * Due to the absence of a split by gender in the data used to
formulate this question, the information about Asian participation in the workforce by gender has been made up from the statistic that
8,805 Asians total contribute
2

Statistics taken from: http://www.dol.gov/wb/stats/recentfacts.htm#rates

2. As introduced by the previous problem, women of all demographics make less

money than white men for the same work. Mathematicians have set to work and
found many interesting facts about this wage gap.
Here is a table that compares the progression of both women and mens annual income
over time in the United States since 1980.
Year Women's Annual Income Man's Annual Income
1980
$30,138
$50,096
1985

$32,257

$49,952

1990

$34,248

$47,821

1995

$34,145

$47,803

2000

$37,148

$50,391

2005

$38,014

$49,383

2010

$39,411

$51,231

In approximately which year should wage gap close?

3. Despite much disbelief, Latino or Hispanic people can be all races. In a group of
100 people, 28 identified as White-Latino, 31 identified as Black-Latino, 42
identified as Asian-Latino, 9 identified as both White-Latino and Black-Latino, 10
identified as both White-Latino and Asian-Latino, 6 identified as both AsianLatino and Black-Latino, and 4 identified as all three races and Latino.
a. Represent this information in a Venn diagram.

b. How many people did not identify as Latino?

c. How many people identified as White, but not as Black or Asian?
d. How many people identified as both Black and White, but not Asian?

REPRESENTATION PROBLEMS4. Raya is picking a committee of 12 people to discuss gender equity in the
workplace. Among the applicants are 18 trans-women, 16 cis-women, 14 cis-men,
13 trans-men, and 23 non-binary folk. How many committees are possible such
that no committee is alike?

5. Drue and their partner Sabina are inviting 5 other couples to a dinner party. Of
these 5 couples, 2 are gay, and 3 are heterosexual. How many different ways can
the couples sit such that each couple is together?

Integrating Social Justice and Mathematics:

Problem Set Teachers Edition
-

What do you know, if anything, about the wage gap?

1. In todays world, women by and large make less than their male counterparts for
the same work and hours. Matrix A represents the ethnic breakdown the labor
force by gender. Matrix B represents the median weekly earnings of workers who
are 16 and older by gender.
!"#$%!!"!!!!!"#$%!!"#$%
53, 615
8, 485
4, 307
10, 177

!"#!!"!!!!!"#$%!!"#$%
64, 531
9, 616
4, 498
13, 918

!"#$!! !!!""#$%!!"#$%& !!"#

!
$722
!"!! !!!""#$%!!"#$%&
$884
d) What is the size of matrix:
A?

!"#$%
$606
$664

= !!!!

!"#$! !"#$%&
$819
$514
$1059 $594

=!

B?

e) What would matrix AB tell us? BA? Are they the same?
f) Find matrix BA.
- Do these statistics surprise you?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3

Statistics adapted from: http://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cpseea04.htm; * Due to the absence of a split by gender in the data used to
formulate this question, the information about Asian participation in the workforce by gender has been made up from the statistic that
8,805 Asians total contribute
4

Statistics taken from: http://www.dol.gov/wb/stats/recentfacts.htm#rates

2. As introduced by the previous problem, women of all demographics make less

money than white men for the same work. Mathematicians have set to work and
found many interesting facts about this wage gap.
Here is a table that compares the progression of both women and mens annual income
over time in the United States since 1980.
Year Women's Annual Income Man's Annual Income
1980
$30,138
$50,096
1985

$32,257

$49,952

1990

$34,248

$47,821

1995

$34,145

$47,803

2000

$37,148

$50,391

2005

$38,014

$49,383

2010

$39,411

$51,231

In approximately which year should wage gap close?

What is your response to your findings?

What are steps we can take as a community to close the wage gap?

- When you think of Latino, what image comes to mind?

1. Despite much disbelief, Latino or Hispanic people can be all races. In a group of
100 people, 28 identified as White-Latino, 31 identified as Black-Latino, 42
identified as Asian-Latino, 9 identified as both White-Latino and Black-Latino, 10
identified as both White-Latino and Asian-Latino, 6 identified as both AsianLatino and Black-Latino, and 4 identified as all three races and Latino.
a. Represent this information in a Venn diagram.

b. How many people did not identify as Latino?

c. How many people identified as White, but not as Black or Asian?
d. How many people identified as both Black and White, but not Asian?

REPRESENTATION PROBLEMS-

What is gender?
What does cis mean?
What does non-binary mean?
What is the value of using cis- and trans- to differentiate between women?
Do you think it is necessary? What would be potential benefits / drawbacks?

3. Raya is picking a committee of 12 people to discuss gender equity in the

workplace. Among the applicants are 18 trans-women, 16 cis-women, 14 cis-men,
13 trans-men, and 23 non-binary folk. How many committees are possible such
that no committee is alike?

What are some of the preferred pronouns of non-binary people? (They, their,
theirs zie, zim, zer)

4. Drue and their partner Sabina are inviting 5 other couples to a dinner party. Of
these 5 couples, 2 are gay, and 3 are heterosexual. How many different ways can
the couples sit such that each couple is together?