news 2023

Mathematicians are using their expertise to improve IVF success rates, according to a new study. A team of researchers have redesigned the needle used in IVF procedures, helping to increase the likelihood of having a baby through this treatment. The study, published in the Journal of Biomechanics, is a culmination of five years research into fertility.

Applying machine learning to find the properties of atomic pieces of geometry shows how AI has the power to accelerate discoveries in maths. Mathematicians from Imperial College London and the University of Nottingham have, for the first time, used machine learning to expand and accelerate work identifying 'atomic shapes' that form the basic pieces of geometry in higher dimensions.

Self-cleaning cicadas could help design new tech which will make our cars cleaner, scientists say. A type of large insect known as a cicada is able to keep its wings clean of dust and dirt through a remarkable process which could be applied in modern technology. The texture of the cicada wing is unusually repellent to water - known as being "super hydrophobic".

Researchers have determined how to build reliable machine learning models that can understand complex equations in real-world situations while using far less training data than is normally expected.

For the first time, a mathematical model for reaching sexual climax has been successfully calculated. 'Don't overthink it' finds the research, which could be used to improve treatment of some conditions. The mathematical model focuses on male arousal, with a formula for female climax to follow. University of Sussex mathematicians have developed the first ever mathematical model of how to reach sexual climax, as revealed in a new paper.

Novel research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) examining the human walk has been able to predict leg and foot proportions using collisional geometry. The findings suggest why modern humans have a knee halfway down their legs, short heel and toes, a stiff, longer midfoot, and why a comfortable step is two to three feet long.

A new programme aims to extract useful information from huge, complex datasets. Bath mathematicians will be building models to identify big dataset anomalies. A new UK-wide research programme that aims to extract useful information from huge, complex datasets has been launched. As part of the programme, mathematicians from the University of Bath will be developing tools to identify dataset anomalies that point to serious problems that might otherwise go undetected.

A new mathematical model that predicts how a tossed stone will skim across the surface of water has potential applications in aircraft design, finds a study involving UCL researchers. The mathematical model, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A , factors together the possible shapes and weights of a stone, the different speeds and directions of a throw and the momentum and pressure of the water as the stone impacts.