Mathematics

AI is revolutionizing the job landscape, prompting nations worldwide to prepare their workforces for dramatic changes. A University of Georgia study evaluated 50 countries’ national AI strategies and found significant differences in how governments prioritize education and workforce training. While many jobs could disappear in the coming decades, new careers requiring advanced AI skills are emerging. Countries like Germany and Spain are leading with early education and cultural support for AI, but few emphasize developing essential human soft skills like creativity and communication—qualities AI can't replace.

AI researchers in Switzerland have found a way to dramatically cut cement s carbon footprint by redesigning its recipe. Their system simulates thousands of ingredient combinations, pinpointing those that keep cement strong while emitting far less CO2 all in seconds.

A new study integrated mathematical modeling with advanced imaging to discover that the physical shape of the fruit fly egg chamber, combined with chemical signals, significantly influences how cells move. Cell migration is critical in wound healing, immune responses, and cancer metastasis, so the work has potential to advance a range of medical treatments.

Scientists have developed a unified theory for mathematical parameters known as gauge freedoms. Their new formulas will allow researchers to interpret research results much faster and with greater confidence. The development could prove fundamental for future efforts in agriculture, drug discovery, and beyond.

Miniature organs on a chip could allow us to do scientific studies with great precision, without having to resort to animal testing. The main problem, however, is that artificial tissue needs blood vessels, and they are very hard to create. Now, new technology has been developed to create reproducible blood vessels using high-precision laser pulses. Tissue has been created that acts like natural tissue.

Researchers developed a faster, more stable way to simulate the swirling electric fields inside industrial plasmas -- the kind used to make microchips and coat materials. The improved method could lead to better tools for chip manufacturing and fusion research.

Scientists found that neural networks cannot yet forecast 'gray swan' weather events, which might not appear in existing training data but could still happen -- like 200-year floods or massive hurricanes.

Researchers have discovered a new class of materials -- called intercrystals -- with unique electronic properties that could power future technologies. Intercrystals exhibit newly discovered forms of electronic properties that could pave the way for advancements in more efficient electronic components, quantum computing and environmentally friendly materials, the scientists said.

A surprising connection has been found, between two seemingly very different classes of superconductors. In a new material, atoms are distributed irregularly, but still manage to create long-range magnetic order.

Researchers have created a method that makes virtual reality (VR) more accessible to people with mobility limitations.

A mathematician has built an algebraic solution to an equation that was once believed impossible to solve.

New research demonstrates how mathematical modeling can predict outbreaks of toxic fungi in Texas corn crops -- offering a potential lifeline to farmers facing billions in harvest losses.

With the assumption that students are going to use artificial intelligence and large language models such as ChatGPT to do their homework, researchers set out to learn how well the free version of ChatGPT would compare with human students in a semester-long undergraduate control systems course.

Working memory is like a mental chalkboard we use to store temporary information while executing other tasks. Scientists worked with more than 200 elementary students to test their working memory, assess its role in word-problem solving and if interventions could boost it and thereby improve their word problem solving skills. Results showed that improving working memory helped both students with and without math difficulties and can help educators more effectively by helping teach the science of math, study authors argue.

Researchers have demonstrated a significant performance increase in cooling technology for high-power electronic devices. They designed novel capillary geometries that push the boundaries of thermal transfer efficiency. This study could play a crucial role in the development of next-generation technology.

How gravity causes a perfectly spherical ball to roll down an inclined plane is part of elementary school physics canon. But the world is messier than a textbook. Scientists have sought to quantitatively describe the much more complex rolling physics of real-world objects. They have now combined theory, simulations, and experiments to understand what happens when an imperfect, spherical object is placed on an inclined plane.

A new method significantly advances 3D imaging of reflective surfaces. The approach integrates techniques known from high-precision optical 3D metrology and computer vision, and could benefit applications ranging from industrial inspection and medical imaging to virtual reality and cultural heritage preservation.

At hypersonic speeds, complexities occur when the gases interact with the surface of the vehicle such as boundary layers and shock waves. Researchers were able to observe new disturbances in simulations conducted for the first time in 3D.

A tiny magnetic robot which can take 3D scans from deep within the body, that could revolutionize early cancer detection, has been developed by researchers. The team say this is the first time it has been possible to generate high-resolution three-dimensional ultrasound images taken from a probe deep inside the gastrointestinal tract, or gut.

A flower-shaped structure only a few micrometres in size made of a nickel-iron alloy can concentrate and locally enhance magnetic fields. The size of the effect can be controlled by varying the geometry and number of 'petals'. This magnetic metamaterial developed by Dr Anna Palau's group at the Institut de Ciencia de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB) in collaboration with her partners of the CHIST-ERA MetaMagIC project, has now been studied at BESSY II in collaboration with Dr Sergio Valencia. Such a device can be used to increase the sensitivity of magnetic sensors, to reduce the energy required for creating local magnetic fields, but also, at the PEEM experimental station, to study samples under much higher magnetic fields than currently possible.

Unveiling Dynamic Shape-Morphing Smartphone sized OLED Panel with Built-In Speaker -- All While Maintaining Ultra-Thin Flexibility.

Scientists investigated whether email interventions informed by behavioral science could help teachers help students learn math.

Mathematicians studied the flow of human crowds and developed a way to predict when pedestrian paths will transition from orderly to entangled. Their findings may help inform the design of public spaces that promote safe and efficient thoroughfares.

Some of the world's most advanced AI systems struggle to tell the time and work out dates on calendars, a study suggests.

Physicists have created a new computer code that could speed up the design of the complicated magnets that shape the plasma in stellarators, making the systems simpler and more affordable to build.

Over 120 years ago, Henry Ernest Dudeney posed the famous dissection problem of transforming a triangle into a square by cutting it into as few pieces as possible. In a new study, researchers have finally proved that the original solution, which involves only four pieces, is optimal by using a new proof technique. This technique shows for the first time that it is possible to prove the optimality of the solution to a dissection problem.

Researchers have developed an AI-based learning system that recognizes strengths and weaknesses in mathematics by tracking eye movements with a webcam to generate problem-solving hints. This enables teachers to provide significantly more children with individualized support.

Energy remains a significant factor in industrial production processes. High levels of energy consumption make production more expensive and exacerbate the climate crisis. A new type of robot technology needs 90% less electricity than conventional systems. The technology uses lightweight, shape memory materials to construct novel, non-pneumatic, industrial gripper systems that function without the need for additional sensors.

A team of researchers created Morpho, an open-source programmable environment that enables researchers and engineers to conduct shape optimization and design for soft materials. Applications can be for anything from artificial hearts to robot materials that mimic flesh and soft tissue.

A team of scientists has now created a computer model that can represent and generate human-like goals by learning from how people create games. The work could lead to AI systems that better understand human intentions and more faithfully model and align with our goals. It may also lead to AI systems that can help us design more human-like games.

Physicists bring unprecedented levels of predictability to the ancient practice of knitting by developing a mathematical model that could be used to create a new class of lightweight, ultra-strong materials.

Researchers are blurring the lines between robotics and materials, with a proof-of-concept material-like collective of robots with behaviors inspired by biology.

Is it possible to tile a surface with a single shape in such a way that the pattern never repeats itself? In 2022, a mathematical solution to this 'Einstein problem' was discovered for the first time. Researchers have now also found a chemical solution: a molecule that arranges itself into complex, non-repeating patterns on a surface. The resulting aperiodic layer could even exhibit novel physical properties.

An international collaboration sheds new light on the relationship between quantum theory and thermodynamics. The research group demonstrated that while the laws of quantum theory alone do not inherently prevent violations of the second law of thermodynamics, any quantum process can be implemented without actually violating the law. This surprising result suggests a peaceful coexistence between quantum theory and thermodynamics, despite their logical independence. This discovery could have profound implications for understanding the thermodynamic limits of quantum technologies, such as quantum computing and nanoscale engines.

Students attending schools that ban the use of phones throughout the school day aren't necessarily experiencing better mental health and wellbeing, as the first worldwide study of its kind has found that just banning smartphones is not enough to tackle their negative impacts.

Physicists measured how readily a current of electron pairs flows through 'magic-angle' graphene, a major step toward understanding how this unusual material superconducts. By determining how readily electron pairs flow through this material, scientists have taken a big step toward understanding its remarkable properties.

A study by economists shows a wide gap between the kinds of math problems kids who work in retail markets do well and the kinds of problems kids in school do well.

Many materials store information about what has happened to them in a sort of material memory, like wrinkles on a once crumpled piece of paper. Now, a team of physicists has uncovered how, under specific conditions, some materials seemingly violate underlying mathematics to store memories about the sequence of previous deformations.

The universe is getting more disordered, entropy is growing -- this is the second law of thermodynamics. But according to quantum theory, entropy should actually stay the same. Scientists took a closer look and resolved this apparent contradiction.

The chemical composition of a material alone sometimes reveals little about its properties. The decisive factor is often the arrangement of the molecules in the atomic lattice structure or on the surface of the material. Materials science utilizes this factor to create certain properties by applying individual atoms and molecules to surfaces with the aid of high-performance microscopes. Using artificial intelligence, a new research group now wants to take the construction of nanostructures to a new level.

Researchers applied the mathematical theory of synchronization to clarify how recurrent neural networks (RNNs) generate predictions, revealing a certain map, based on the generalized synchronization, that yields correct target values. They showed that conventional reservoir computing (RC), a type of RNN, can be viewed as a linear approximation, and introduced a 'generalized readout' incorporating further order approximations. Using a chaotic time-series forecasting task, they demonstrated that this approach dramatically enhances both prediction accuracy and robustness.

AI tools are increasingly being used to track and monitor us both online and in-person, yet their effectiveness comes with big risks. Computer scientists have developed a new mathematical model which could help people better understand the risks posed by AI and assist regulators in protecting peoples' privacy.

Hula hooping is so commonplace that we may overlook some interesting questions it raises: 'What keeps a hula hoop up against gravity?' and 'Are some body types better for hula hooping than others?' A team of mathematicians explored and answered these questions with findings that also point to new ways to better harness energy and improve robotic positioners.

A new comprehensive literature review of the benefits and challenges of integrating haptics-enhanced virtual reality training, or VR-haptics for short, in dental education curricula highlights the transformative potential of VR-haptics in dental education.

String theory remains elusive as a 'provable' phenomenon. But a team of physicists has now taken a significant step forward in validating string theory by using an innovative mathematical method that points to its 'inevitability.'

A groundbreaking piece of navigation technology that uses the ability to sense information through touch can help people with visual impairment perform a location task as well as sighted people, according to new research.

Mathematicians have applied statistical mechanics to climate change detection and attribution for first time. They have shown how to separate the 'signal' of human-made climate change from the 'noise' of natural climate fluctuations. This allows for a dramatic improvement in the ability to detect climate change and early warnings of climatic tipping points.

Physicists have devised an algorithm that provides a mathematical framework for how learning works in lattices called mechanical neural networks.

Modeling how cars deform in a crash, how spacecraft responds to extreme environments, or how bridges resist stress could be made thousands of times faster thanks to new artificial intelligence that enables personal computers to solve massive math problems that generally require supercomputers.

In fields ranging from immunology and ecology to economics and thermodynamics, multi-scale complex systems are ubiquitous. They are also notoriously difficult to model. Conventional approaches take either a bottom-up or top-down approach. But in disturbed systems, such as a post-fire forest ecosystem or a society in a pandemic, these unidirectional models can't capture the interactions between the small-scale behaviors and the system-level properties. Scientists have worked to resolve this challenge by building a hybrid method that links bottom-up behaviors and top-down causation in a single theory.

Helping out your neighbor or minding your own business? A challenging choice with different benefits for each decision. Game theory provides guidance in making such choices -- from a theoretical perspective. Novel findings reveal new network structures that enhance cooperation throughout a system. These insights have potential applications also in biology.

An AI method enables the generation of sharp, high-quality 3D shapes that are closer to the quality of the best 2D image models. Previous approaches typically generated blurry or cartoonish 3D shapes.

A new theory, that explains how light and matter interact at the quantum level has enabled researchers to define for the first time the precise shape of a single photon.

Researchers have discovered that in a foraging ant's search for food, it will leave pheromone trails connecting its colony to multiple food sources when they're available, successfully creating the first model that explains the phenomenon of trail formation to multiple food sources.

Researchers have devised a mathematical approach to predict the structures of crystals -- a critical step in developing many medicines and electronic devices -- in a matter of hours using only a laptop, a process that previously took a supercomputer weeks or months.

Researchers have developed a three-dimensional mathematical model of prostate cancer. The model depicts various processes, including tumour growth, genetic evolution and tumour cell competition.

The discovery, centred around controlling tiny hurricanes of light and electromagnetic fields, could revolutionise how much information we can deliver over cables.

Scientists have created a robot that can learn tasks like cleaning a washbasin just by watching humans. A special sponge with sensors is used to show the robot how to clean. Using an advanced machine learning system, the robot learns how it is supposed to behave and can apply this knowledge to cleaning different washbasins.

SURD, an algorithm, reveals causal links in complex systems. Applications may include forecasting climate to projecting population growth to designing efficient aircraft.

Mechanical engineers designed a 3D-printed femur that could help doctors prepare for surgeries to repair bones and develop treatments for bone tumors. The study, which focused on the middle section of the bone, establishes 3D-printing parameters for a femur for use in biomechanical testing. Researchers said more studies will be needed before the technology could be available for widespread use.