This talk makes use of Lagrange's Identity to provide a bridge between an insightful motivation and an elementary derivation of the method of equal proportions. The method of equal proportions is the current method for apportioning the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the 50 states, following each decennial census. We also present some historical comments about the first two methods of apportionment as well as the last two methods of apportionment.
Dr. Wright is Chief of the Center for Statistical Research & Methodology, U.S. Bureau of the Census and Adjunct Faculty in Statistics at Georgetown University. His research interests include probability sampling and estimation, rankings, apportionment methods, and applications of Lagrange's Identity. His contributions have brought him professional
recognition as a Fellow of the American Statistical Association (1995) and an Elected Member of the International Statistical
Institute (1989).