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Linear Programming: problem solving starting point
You may recall that a while ago I wrote about Picture this!, an interactive problem/puzzle developed by one of our supported projects at work. Now the same group have developed a problem solving ‘starting point’ on linear programming.
The problem pits you as a toy manufacturer producing wooden dolls and trains, with a limited number of carpentry hours available per day. You are invited to consider questions around how many of each object can be produced and what can be done to optimise profit.
Two more interactive problem starting points will be ready in due course but for now please try this one and, importantly, provide feedback.
Important: Once you have played with the virtual problem solving environment, please fill out this survey from the researchers. The researchers have said to me that they are happy for the page to be public and hope that anyone who uses it will fill out the survey. Doing so, you will help the researchers discover whether the use of this software to present problems is worthwhile and beneficial. The survey asks if you are a student or a tutor. If you choose “student” you will be asked about your use of the simulation and your understanding of the underlying mathematics. If you choose “tutor” (or leave the question blank) you will be asked about how you used it with undergraduate students.
This project seeks to produce “a virtual problem solving environment which hosts problems suitable for a range of undergraduate mathematics courses“. If you want to find out more about this project then you can read the interim report from this project over on my work blog.
Sir Michael Atiyah and Cédric Villani talk at Tate Modern
Sir Michael Atiyah and Cédric Villani, Fields medallists, holders of a frankly embarrassing number of other awards, and highly entertaining speakers, will be having a conversation “to explore mathematics and topology” at Tate Modern, London, on June 2nd, following a screening of the film Au Bonheur des Maths.
All metro systems eventually have the same shape
The BBC and Scientific American report on a paper looking, “in an exploratory manner,” at the limiting shape of metro systems serving large cities. The BBC linked to the actual paper, which is nice of them. The Scientific American article goes into a bit more detail, though.
The authors contend that rather than the shape of subway networks being decided by central planning, which would produce a variety of shapes, the eventual shape of a subway network converges on an emergen structure consisting of a dense core with branches radiating from it.
Modified packing problem might save lives
Unhelpful framing news, now. A University of Michigan of press release begins:
A hidden facet of a math problem that goes back to timeworn Sanskrit manuscripts has just been exposed by nanotechnology researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of Connecticut.
P-p-p-publicise a paper!
We love hearing about new maths but keeping up with the literature is difficult. It’s also quite hard to tell if something outside your field of expertise is noteworthy or not. So we want your help directing our attention towards new and noteworthy research, whether it’s on the arXiv or in peer-reviewed journals or just a rumour someone’s worked out something big.
We’re going to call the column Phil. Trans. Aperiodic., and Nathan Barker, who is currently finishing his PhD at Newcastle University, has kindly offered to run it. He’s going to do a fairly regular, fairly serious round-up of the articles you submit.
So, if you’ve seen some good research lately (or you’ve written some, and you’re really really sure it’s good), please go over to the Phil. Trans. Aperiodic. submission page and fill in our form.
In what flipping dimension is a square peg in a round hole just as good as a round peg in a square hole?
In what flipping dimension is a square peg in a round hole just as good as a round peg in a square hole?
Let’s start at the beginning.
My Plus magazine puzzle from March asks “Which gives a tighter fit: a square peg in a round hole or a round peg in a square hole?” By “tighter” we mean that a higher proportion of the hole is occupied by the peg.
