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Want to solve a complex problem? Applied math can help

You can probably think of a time when you've used math to solve an everyday problem, such as calculating a tip at a restaurant or determining the square footage of a room. But what role does math play in solving complex problems ...

Soft cells: Rounded tile shapes echo those found in nature

Tiles that fill two- and three-dimensional spaces with no gaps—including triangles, squares, hexagons, cubes, and other polyhedra—are typically designed with sharp corners and flat faces (straight edges).

Mathematicians model a puzzling breakdown in cooperative behavior

Darwin was puzzled by cooperation in nature—it ran directly against natural selection and the notion of survival of the fittest. But over the past decades, evolutionary mathematicians have used game theory to better understand ...

Mathematicians debunk GPS assumptions to offer improvements

The summer holidays are ending, which for many concludes with a long drive home and reliance on GPS devices to get safely home. But every now and then, GPS devices can suggest strange directions or get briefly confused about ...

Generalized splitting-ring number theoretic transform

Number theoretic transform (NTT) is widely recognized as the most efficient method for computing polynomial multiplication with high dimension and integral coefficients, due to its quasilinear complexity.

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Mathematics
Those with the biggest biases choose first, according to new math study
Mathematics
Study uses topological data analysis to identify voting deserts
Mathematics
Real equity in math education is about more than good grades and test scores
Mathematics
Mathematical method for spectral density estimation set to unlock ocean mysteries
Mathematics
Losing count: The mathematical magic of counting curves
Mathematics
Stress testing pension funds—researchers present technique based on hidden Markov regime switching model
Mathematics
Merging AI and human efforts to tackle complex mathematical problems
Mathematics
New mathematical proof helps to solve equations with random components
Mathematics
Why expanding access to algebra is a matter of civil rights
Mathematics
Study finds cooperation can still evolve even with limited payoff memory
Mathematics
Students' awareness of their cognitive processes facilitates the learning of math, finds study
Mathematics
New research disproves a long-held 'cognitive illusion' that hockey goaltenders improve under pressure
Mathematics
Study shows the power of social connections to predict hit songs
Mathematics
Wire-cut forensic examinations currently too unreliable for court, new study says
Mathematics
People underestimate the probability of including at least one minority member in a group, research suggests
Mathematics
How can we make good decisions by observing others? A videogame and computational model have the answer
Mathematics
Decision-making analysis for a new variant of the classical secretary problem
Mathematics
Data scientists aim to improve humanitarian support for displaced populations
Mathematics
How science, math, and tech can propel swimmers to new heights
Mathematics
A surprising result for a group's optimal path to cooperation

Other news

Other
Saturday Citations: Brown dwarf actually brown dwarfs; the adaptability of ice-age humans; archaeologists excited
Optics & Photonics
All-optical switch device paves way for faster fiber-optic communication
Political science
Megastudy tests crowdsourced ideas for reducing political polarization
Plants & Animals
Worms and snails handle the pressure 2,500m below the Pacific surface
Earth Sciences
Could injecting diamond dust into the atmosphere help cool the planet?
Astronomy
First results from the Axion Dark-Matter Birefringent Cavity experiment establish a new technique for axion search
Plants & Animals
Bumblebee queens choose to hibernate in pesticide-contaminated soil, scientists discover
Astronomy
Physicists show that neutron stars may be shrouded in clouds of axions
Environment
Global study reveals people, including those most affected by climate change, do not understand climate justice
Nanomaterials
New fabrication strategy enhances graphene aerogel sensitivity and durability for human-machine interfaces
Biochemistry
Team develops promising new form of antibiotic that makes bacterial cells self-destruct
Nanophysics
Controlling sound waves with Klein tunneling improves acoustic signal filtration
Cell & Microbiology
Cellular senescence research identifies key enzyme to promote healthy aging
Biochemistry
Lignin molecular property discovery could help turn trees into affordable, greener industrial chemicals
Plants & Animals
American lobster population and habitat preferences shifting, study finds
Analytical Chemistry
New strategy unlocks magnetic switching with hydrogen bonding at molecular level
Plants & Animals
Butterfly brains reveal the tweaks required for cognitive innovation
Earth Sciences
Scientists identify potential deep-ocean greenhouse gas storage solution
Analytical Chemistry
Leveraging skyscraper architecture: New design enhances porosity and structural stability for metal-organic frameworks
Cell & Microbiology
Team achieves successful reproduction of hematopoietic stem cell developmental process in an in vitro culture system

A good combination: Model and experiment for a deeper look

Doctors performing medical check-ups want a full picture of the patient's health without using the scalpel. Engineers who want to investigate the stability of a bridge without cutting into it are in the same position. Non-destructive ...

New math tools for new materials

University of Utah mathematician Graeme Milton presents a new tool for understanding how energy waves move through complex materials, opening up possibilities to design materials that absorb or bend energy as desired. His ...

Mathematical algorithms calculate social behavior

For a long time, mathematical modelling of social systems and dynamics was considered in the realm of science fiction. But predicting, and at once influencing human behavior is well on its way to becoming reality. Scientists ...

Getting the most out of fractional models

Machines make our lives easier in many ways. Whether it's a smart thermostat that learns when to turn the heat on or automatic brakes, machines traffic in the language of classical calculus. Classical calculus is good enough ...

The mathematics of music history

Together with colleagues from London and Amsterdam, MIB postdoc Niels Chr. Hansen, analysed thousands of musical themes composed by French, Italian, and Austro-German composers living in 1600-1950.