https://phys.org/science-news/mathematics en-us The latest news on mathematics, math, math science, mathematical science and math technology. The theory of indirect reciprocity holds that people who earn a good reputation by helping others are more likely to be rewarded by third parties, but widespread cooperation depends on agreement about reputations. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-method-sustain-social-cooperation.html Mathematics Social Sciences Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:28:04 EDT news646565282 Election polls often tighten up remarkably as the election date draws near. "Leave" (the European Union) won the UK election of May 2016 with a majority of 51.9%, but earlier the polls weren't nearly as tight—in January 2011 "Remain" was up by about 20 percentage points. In the 2020 presidential election in Poland, Andrzej Duda won with 51.0% of the votes, whereas he was up by about 5 percentage points just eight weeks earlier. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-large-electorates-tend-evenly-results.html Mathematics Political science Mon, 23 Sep 2024 10:00:01 EDT news646304327 Several fields of mathematics have developed in total isolation, using their own "undecipherable" coded languages. In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Tamás Hausel, professor of mathematics at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), presents "big algebras," a two-way mathematical 'dictionary' between symmetry, algebra, and geometry, that could strengthen the connection between the distant worlds of quantum physics and number theory. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-mathematical-dictionary-quantum-physics-theory.html Mathematics Thu, 12 Sep 2024 10:28:58 EDT news645355732 In a world where organizing a simple meeting can feel like herding cats, new research from Case Western Reserve University reveals just how challenging finding a suitable meeting time becomes as the number of participants grows. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-mathematical-explores-statistical-mysteries-successfully.html Mathematics Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:12:55 EDT news645113572 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 cooperation persists when evolution should favor self-serving cheaters. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-mathematicians-puzzling-breakdown-cooperative-behavior.html Mathematics Tue, 03 Sep 2024 08:30:01 EDT news644512757 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 geometric shapes using tools like 3D printing. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-framework-parabolic-partial-differential-equations.html Mathematics Wed, 28 Aug 2024 17:11:03 EDT news644083861 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 location. But until now, no one knew for sure when the satellites were in a good enough position for the GPS system to give reliable direction. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-mathematicians-debunk-gps-assumptions.html Mathematics Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:19:04 EDT news644069941 A new applied mathematical theory could enhance our understanding of how sea ice affects global climate, potentially improving the accuracy of climate predictions. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-cold-math-hot-topic-theory.html Mathematics Tue, 27 Aug 2024 19:10:01 EDT news643978742 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 water is added. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-mathematicians-secrets-ouzo-cloudy.html Mathematics Thu, 22 Aug 2024 13:27:40 EDT news643552049 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 through its unusual, dreamlike stream of consciousness. New work in chaos theory, published in the journal Chaos, takes a closer look at how Joyce's challenging novel stands out, mathematically. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-finnegans-spacing-punctuation.html Mathematics Other Tue, 20 Aug 2024 11:00:01 EDT news643302781 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. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-biggest-biases-math.html Mathematics Political science Mon, 12 Aug 2024 11:05:40 EDT news642679532 Whether it's physical phenomena, share prices or climate models—many dynamic processes in our world can be described mathematically with the aid of partial differential equations. Thanks to stochastics—an area of mathematics which deals with probabilities—this is even possible when randomness plays a role in these processes. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-mathematical-proof-equations-random-components.html Mathematics Mon, 24 Jun 2024 08:59:03 EDT news638438341 By rapidly analyzing large amounts of data and making accurate predictions, artificial intelligence (AI) tools could help to answer many long-standing research questions. For instance, they could help to identify new materials to fabricate electronics or the patterns in brain activity associated with specific human behaviors. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-merging-ai-human-efforts-tackle.html Mathematics Mon, 24 Jun 2024 08:50:02 EDT news638437425 Direct reciprocity facilitates cooperation in repeated social interactions. Traditional models suggest that individuals learn to adopt conditionally cooperative strategies if they have multiple encounters with their partner. However, most existing models make rather strong assumptions about how individuals decide to keep or change their strategies. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-cooperation-evolve-limited-payoff-memory.html Mathematics Social Sciences Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:33:15 EDT news638011991 Ever wondered how your friends shape your music taste? In a recent study, researchers at the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) demonstrated that social networks are a powerful predictor of a song's future popularity. By analyzing friendships and listening habits, they've boosted machine learning prediction precision by 50%. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-power-social-songs.html Mathematics Social Sciences Tue, 11 Jun 2024 10:26:03 EDT news637320362 A research article published June 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences highlights the importance of careful application of high-tech forensic science to avoid wrongful convictions. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-wire-forensic-unreliable-court.html Mathematics Political science Mon, 10 Jun 2024 15:00:01 EDT news637227541 How can disaster response teams benefit from understanding how people most efficiently pick strawberries together, or how they choose the perfect ice cream shop with friends? https://phys.org/news/2024-06-good-decisions-videogame.html Mathematics Social Sciences Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:19:34 EDT news636722369 In times of crisis, effective humanitarian aid depends largely on the fast and efficient allocation of resources and personnel. Accurate data about the locations and movements of affected people in these situations is essential for this. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-aim-humanitarian-displaced-populations.html Mathematics Social Sciences Mon, 03 Jun 2024 10:23:47 EDT news636629022 What is the best way for a group of individuals to cooperate? This is a longstanding question with roots in game theory, a branch of science which uses mathematical models of how individuals should best strategize for the optimal result. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-result-group-optimal-path-cooperation.html Mathematics Social Sciences Thu, 30 May 2024 10:10:01 EDT news636281737 New mathematical tools revealing how quickly cell proteins break down are poised to uncover deeper insights into how we age, according to a recently published paper co-authored by a Mississippi State researcher and his colleagues from Harvard Medical School and the University of Cambridge. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-math-discovery-method-cell-aging.html Mathematics Tue, 21 May 2024 13:32:54 EDT news635517171 Gossip often has a negative connotation, but imagine you are part of a group deciding on a job candidate to hire or a local political candidate to back. Candidates who get a good reputation by helping others may be more likely to receive help in the form of a job offer or endorsement, a feedback loop known as indirect reciprocity. Gossip can facilitate cooperation. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-mechanistic-gossip-foster-social-cooperation.html Mathematics Social Sciences Wed, 15 May 2024 12:59:00 EDT news634996737 Will a certain tritium atom decay by a certain time? According to our current science, this question concerning physical phenomena should be answered by sampling from a probability distribution, a process not unlike spinning a roulette wheel or rolling dice. However, a paper in Foundations of Physics suggests that the same could be true of a question concerning mathematical phenomena, even one as prosaic as "what is 2+2?" https://phys.org/news/2024-05-random-science-math-probabilistic-framework.html Mathematics Thu, 09 May 2024 09:42:02 EDT news634466521 A small team of political scientists, statisticians and data scientists from Harvard University, New York University, and Yale University, has found that by switching to a new method to better protect privacy, the U.S. Census Department has introduced factors that reduce accuracy in some cases. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-method-privacy-census-accuracy.html Mathematics Political science Mon, 06 May 2024 10:10:02 EDT news634207338 Most people have heard the famous phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Now, Northwestern University researchers have used statistical physics to confirm the theory that underlies this famous axiom. The study, "Proper network randomization is key to assessing social balance," is published in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-statistical-physics-corroborate-1940s-social.html Mathematics Social Sciences Fri, 03 May 2024 14:00:01 EDT news633944237 What do the flow of cars on a highway and the movement of bacteria towards a food source have in common? In both cases, annoying traffic jams can form. Especially for cars, we might want to understand how to avoid them, but perhaps we've never thought of turning to statistical physics. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-vehicles-reactions-reckless-merging-math.html Mathematics Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:00:01 EDT news633626701 Imagine a small village where every action someone takes, good or bad, is quietly followed by ever-attentive, nosy neighbors. An individual's reputation is built through these actions and observations, which determines how others will treat them. They help a neighbor and are likely to receive help from others in return; they turn their back on a neighbor and find themselves isolated. But what happens when people make mistakes, when good deeds go unnoticed, or errors lead to unjust blame? https://phys.org/news/2024-04-theoretical-biologists-modes-social-truths.html Mathematics Social Sciences Mon, 29 Apr 2024 14:58:39 EDT news633621516 Whether you're trying to predict a climate catastrophe or mental health crisis, mathematics tells us to look for fluctuations. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-algorithm-noisy.html Mathematics Fri, 26 Apr 2024 13:13:04 EDT news633355982 Both arithmetic aficionados and the mathematically challenged will be equally captivated by new research that upends hundreds of years of popular belief about prime numbers. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-breakthrough-prime-theory-primes.html Mathematics Wed, 03 Apr 2024 11:09:07 EDT news631361345 Chinese ice-ray lattice, or "binglie" as it is called in Chinese, is an intricate pattern that looks like cracked ice and is a common decorative element used in traditional Chinese window designs. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-ice-ray-patterns-rediscovery-future.html Mathematics Wed, 20 Mar 2024 10:55:06 EDT news630150901 For Michel Talagrand, who won the Abel mathematics prize on Wednesday, math provided a fun life free from all constraints—and an escape from the eye problems he suffered as a child. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-fun-winner-math-prize.html Mathematics Wed, 20 Mar 2024 10:42:51 EDT news630150165