A model developed by evolutionary mathematicians shows that as conditions for cooperation improve between two species, mutually beneficial behavior can unexpectedly become unbalanced. Cooperative behavior pools in one species, the other...
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 why mutual...
The answer to today’s puzzle Earlier today I set you the following counterintuitive puzzle, about a curious object that fits through a small hole, but not through a big one. Here it is again with solutions. Continue reading...
Window pain UPDATE: Read the answer here Today’s puzzle is about defenestration. Now there’s a word I’ve never used in this column before. Continue reading...
The flow of knowledge to Europe on maths, astronomy and much more has gone unacknowledged by historians. In AD628, an Indian sage living on a mountain in Rajasthan made one of the world’s most important mathematical discoveries. The...
In isolation, Alexander Grothendieck seemed to have lost touch with reality, but some say his metaphysical theories could contain wonders One day in September 2014, in a hamlet in the French Pyrenean foothills, Jean-Claude, a landscape...
The Data Provenance Explorer can help machine-learning practitioners make more informed choices about the data they train their models on, which could improve the accuracy of models deployed in the real world.
The way we memorize information—a mathematical problem statement, for example—reveals the way we process it. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with CY Cergy Paris University (CYU) and Bourgogne University...
Computer graphics and geometry processing research provide the tools needed to simulate physical phenomena like fire and flames, aiding the creation of visual effects in video games and movies as well as the fabrication of complex...
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 your...
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.
Researchers developed a mathematical model showing how brine movement in sea ice enhances heat transfer, potentially improving climate change predictions for polar regions.
A new applied mathematical theory could enhance our understanding of how sea ice affects global climate, potentially improving the accuracy of climate predictions.
The new estimates of the parameters that form the basis of the standard model of cosmology are far more precise than previous approaches using the same galaxy distribution data.
A team of researchers has created a digital pathology platform based on artificial intelligence. The platform uses new algorithms developed by the team and enables fully automated analysis of tissue sections from lung cancer patients....
Mathematicians at Loughborough University have turned their attention to a fascinating observation that has intrigued scientists and cocktail enthusiasts alike: the mysterious way ouzo, a popular anise-flavored liquor, turns cloudy when...
An artificial intelligence algorithm can allow researchers to more efficiently use 3D printing to manufacture intricate structures. The development could allow for more seamless use of 3D printing for complex designs in everything from...
Statistical analysis of classic literature has shown that the way punctuation breaks up text obeys certain universal mathematical relationships. James Joyce's tome "Finnegans Wake," however, famously breaks the rules of normal prose...
Artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded in popularity as of late. But just like a human, it's hard to read an AI model's mind. Explainable AI (XAI) could help us do just that by providing justification for a model's decisions. And now,...
A new machine learning model can predict autism in young children from relatively limited information. The model can facilitate early detection of autism, which is important to provide the right support.
The solution to today’s puzzle Earlier today I set you a puzzle about a variant of noughts and crosses (tic-tac-toe in the US). Games are played exactly as normal with the following twist: Players can place either an X or an O on each...
Transgressive tic-tac-toe UPDATE: The solution is now up I recently discovered an interesting variant of noughts and crosses. (Tic-tac-toe for US readers.) Games are played exactly as normal with the following twist: Players can place...
A mathematical framework that builds on the economic theory of hidden-action models provides insight into how the unobservable nature of effort and risk shapes investigators' research strategies and the incentive structures within which...
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts Who first made calculating numbers a discipline and called it...
Researchers simulated social norms with a supercomputer. Their findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the evolution of social norms and their role in fostering cooperative behavior.
Researchers discover that while artificial intelligence (AI) tools can make accurate diagnoses from textbook-like descriptions of genetic diseases, the tools are significantly less accurate when analyzing summaries written by patients...
Large Language Models (LLMs) are entirely controllable through human prompts and lack 'emergent abilities'; that is, the means to form their own insights or conclusions. Increasing model size does not lead LLMs to gain emergent reasoning...
In past years, elections in the U.S. have been marked by stories of long waiting lines at the voting polls. Add other barriers, like long commutes and inadequate transportation, and voting can become inaccessible. But these voting...
In a new study, researchers created a sort of simulated voting booth -- a space where people, or mathematical 'agents,' with various biases could deliberate over decisions. The results may help to reveal the mathematics of how the human...
In just a few months, voters across America will head to the polls to decide who will be the next U.S. president. A new study draws on mathematics to break down how humans make decisions like this one.
Machine learning is a powerful tool in computational biology, enabling the analysis of a wide range of biomedical data such as genomic sequences and biological imaging. But when researchers use machine learning in computational biology,...
Maths is a language that has helped humanity lay bare the mysteries of the universe In Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter observes that “say what you mean” is not the same as “mean what you say”, for “you...
To protect the Amazon and support the wellbeing of its people, its economy needs to shift from environmentally harmful production to a model built around the diversity of indigenous and rural communities, and standing forests.
With GROVER, a new large language model trained on human DNA, researchers could now attempt to decode the complex information hidden in our genome. GROVER treats human DNA as a text, learning its rules and context to draw functional...
The solutions to today’s puzzles Earlier today I set you these puzzles for English majors, i.e people who studied English at university. Here they are again with solutions and commentary from Ben Orlin, whose book Math for English Majors...
Acquaint yourself with matters mathematical UPDATE: Read the solutions here With apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan, but I meant the other type of English major: a person who studied English at university. American maths author Ben Orlin...
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts Who first made calculating numbers a discipline and called it...
Eye-tracking allows studying aspects that cannot be seen, for example, the thinking processes of a student solving a mathematical problem. Researchers have integrated eye-tracking into education and are using the technology to radically...
Thermometer, a new calibration technique tailored for large language models, can prevent LLMs from being overconfident or underconfident about their predictions. The technique aims to help users know when a model should be trusted.
A new study places the origin of the Imazighen in the Epipaleolithic, more than twenty thousand years ago. The research concludes that the genetic origin of the current Arab population of north Africa is far more recent than previously...
What if the 'Market Economy' always existed? Archaeologists tried to answer this question by researching how much Bronze Age people used to spend to sustain their daily lives. Their results show that, starting at least 3,500 years ago,...
Clean energy investments offer potential stability and growth, especially during volatile market conditions. A recent study explored the relationship between clean energy markets and global stock markets. Significant spillovers were...