http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/math_puzzles/ Explore a wide range of mathematical research, including surprising discoveries in gaming, math puzzles, prime numbers and encryption. en-us Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:05:01 EST Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/math_puzzles/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193626.htm Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have a number of cognitive deficits. Mathematical ability seems particularly damaged in children with FASD. A new study supports the importance of the left parietal area for mathematical abilities in children with FASD. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110211037.htm Although often seen as an inconsequential feature of digital technologies, one's self-representation, or avatar, in a virtual environment can affect the user's thoughts, according to new research. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110211037.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027170850.htm A mathematician who has applied mathematical modeling techniques to elucidate the dynamics of run scoring in baseball has computed the probability of the Yankees and Phillies winning the World Series. He also has computed the most deserving of Major League Baseball's prestigious 2009 Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Cy Young awards. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027170850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014144731.htm With the League Championship Series set to begin tomorrow, NJIT Mathematics Professor Bruce Bukiet has, once again, analyzed the probability of each team winning their post-season series. Bukiet updates his calculations daily during the Major League Baseball post-season. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014144731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924123306.htm By carefully observing and analyzing the pattern of activity in the brain, researchers have found that they can tell what number a person has just seen. They can similarly tell how many dots a person has been presented with, according to new research. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924123306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922095651.htm Mathematicians have resolved the first one trillion cases of an ancient mathematics problem. The advance was made possible by a clever new computational technique for multiplying large numbers. The numbers involved are so enormous that if their digits were written out by hand they would stretch to the moon and back. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922095651.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818083224.htm While video gaming is perceived as a pastime for children and young adults, the average age of US players is 35. Investigators analyzed survey data from 500+ adults (19 to 90) on health risks; media use behaviors and perceptions, including those related to video-game playing; and demographic factors. They found measurable correlations between video-game playing and health risks, including a higher BMI and a greater number of poor mental-health days. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818083224.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723113514.htm In the animal kingdom, everything is not as it seems. Individuals of the same species can look very different from each other -- what biologists term "polymorphism." Sometimes the number of distinct visible forms -- "exuberant polymorphisms" -- in a single animal population can reach double figures. But why? Scientists have now developed computer models that may help to explain how this level of variation arises and persists. Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723113514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090731085817.htm A system that allows biometric data to be used to create a secret key for data encryption has been developed by researchers in South Africa. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090731085817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729140931.htm The first comprehensive census of video game characters finds Latinos nearly invisible and women and other groups underrepresented. Combined with wide reach of video games and heavy play by minorities, findings suggest lack of representation in games may have significant social impacts. Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729140931.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723194321.htm Researchers have created "bacterial computers" with the potential to solve complicated mathematics problems. Scientists demonstrate that computing in living cells is feasible, opening the door to a number of applications. The second-generation bacterial computers illustrate the feasibility of extending the approach to other computationally challenging math problems. Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090723194321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716123318.htm Scientists have found that playing active video games can be as effective for children as moderate exercise. Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716123318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702112840.htm To ensure that all children enter elementary school with the foundation they need for success, a major national initiative is needed to improve early childhood mathematics education, says a new report. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702112840.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075449.htm Technology that allows gamers to control game functions with only their eyes is helping to open virtual worlds such as Second Life and World of Warcraft to people with severe motor disabilities. For people suffering from conditions such as cerebral palsy, motor neurone disease (MND) or so-called locked-in syndromes, being able to move around and interact in a virtual environment is a “truly liberating experience,” says a computer scientist who helped develop the software. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617171819.htm Some video games can make children kinder and more likely to help -- not hurt -- other people. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617171819.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615152926.htm Technologies that exploit the unique weirdness of quantum mechanics could debut in the very near future, thanks to the groundbreaking work of a huge European research consortium. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615152926.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608151550.htm Countless hours are lost in traffic jams every year. Most frustrating of all are those jams with no apparent cause -- no accident, no stalled vehicle, no lanes closed for construction. Such phantom jams can form when there is a heavy volume of cars on the road. In that high density of traffic, small disturbances (a driver hitting the brake too hard, or getting too close to another car) can quickly become amplified into a full-blown, self-sustaining traffic jam. A team of mathematicians has developed a model that describes how and under what conditions such jams form, which could help road designers minimize the odds of their formation. Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608151550.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608071802.htm Computer/console gamers who play for more than seven hours a week, and who identify their gaming as an addiction, sleep less during the weekdays and experience greater sleepiness than casual or nongamers, according to new research. Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608071802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529093155.htm Researchers have recently demonstrated a breakthrough in the quantum control of photons, the energy quanta of light. This is a significant result in quantum computation, and could eventually have implications in banking, drug design, and other applications. Sun, 31 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529093155.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511122614.htm Rapidly rising cyber crime and the growing prospect of the Internet being used as a medium for terrorist attacks pose a major challenge for IT security. Cryptography is central to this challenge, since it underpins privacy, confidentiality, and identity, which together provide the fabric for e-commerce and secure communications. Now, a new approach based on the mathematical theory of elliptic curves has emerged as a leading candidate for more efficient cryptography capable of providing the optimum combination of security and processing efficiency. Tue, 12 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511122614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430065454.htm Quantum cryptography, a completely secure means of communication, is much closer to being used practically as researchers have now developed high speed detectors capable of receiving information with much higher key rates, thereby able to receive more information faster. Sat, 02 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430065454.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417083856.htm Researchers have developed a suite of tools to add non-verbal cues to email, phone calls, chats and other channels of electronic communication. It is fascinating work, and the real-world applications are even more compelling. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417083856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417084000.htm California's Early Assessment Program is paying off in fewer college freshmen who require remedial math and English, a new study suggests. Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417084000.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090407174805.htm Although fractions are thought to be a difficult mathematical concept to learn, the adult brain encodes them automatically without conscious thought, according to new research. The study shows that cells in the intraparietal sulcus and the prefrontal cortex -- brain regions important for processing whole numbers -- are tuned to respond to particular fractions. Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090407174805.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402143742.htm The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels should make the playoffs in the American League in 2009 with most other teams lagging well behind. The National League should see another very tight race in the Eastern Division as has occurred in recent years. However, this year it looks like there may be a three-way tie among the defending World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies, the Atlanta Braves, and the New York Mets. Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402143742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324131454.htm Using cell phones and playing video games may not be as harmful to children's academic performance as previously believed, according to new research. Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324131454.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090317201131.htm A leading statistician claims that the number of murders in London last year was not out of the ordinary and followed a predictable pattern. His report argues that shocking headline numbers are not as surprising as one might think. Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090317201131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090224133204.htm Gesturing helps students develop new ways of understanding mathematics. Scholars have known for a long time that movements help retrieve information about an event or physical activity associated with action. A new report, however, is the first to show that gestures not only help recover old ideas, they also help create new ones. The information could be helpful to teachers. Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090224133204.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226093423.htm In another "Freakonomics"- style study that turns conventional wisdom about public- versus private-school education on its head, education professors have found that public-school students outperform their private-school classmates on standardized math tests, thanks to two key factors: Certified math teachers and a modern, reform-oriented math curriculum. Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226093423.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303084049.htm The shift from electromechanical to digital technology generated a lot of opportunities for the gaming industry, but it simultaneously created a new set of prerequisites for success. Technological competence is not sufficient, it is also necessary to understand how the changed market functions, according researchers. Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303084049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303082807.htm Women who are good at mathematics often do not choose careers in math-intensive fields, such as computer science, physics, technology, engineering, chemistry, and higher mathematics, because they want the flexibility to raise children, or because they prefer other fields of science that are less math-intensive. Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303082807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090227130934.htm Computer scientists show that online, interactive gaming communities are now so massive that they mirror traditional communities. Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090227130934.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090214162754.htm Researchers have analyzed a "gold mine" of networking data from EverQuest II, a fantasy massive multiplayer online role-playing game, along with a survey of 7,000 players. Their findings include that many players underestimate the amount of time they spend playing the games, the number of players who say they are depressed is disproportionately high -- and surprisingly -- most people played with people in their general geographic area. Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090214162754.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203192427.htm The software code underlying violent computer games can be used to train people in fire safety, new academic research has found. Commercial games such as Doom 3 and Half Life 2 can be used to build virtual worlds to train people in fire evacuation procedures by applying the games' underlying software code, according to researchers. Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203192427.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081204074806.htm Every time you use a credit card, access your bank account online or send secure email cryptography comes into play. But as computers become more powerful, network speeds increase and data storage grows, the current methods of protecting information are being challenged. Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081204074806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081129173718.htm Why are certain videos on YouTube watched millions of times while 90 percent of the contributions find only the odd viewer? A new study reveals that increased attention in social systems like the YouTube community follows particular, recurrent patterns that can be represented using mathematical models. Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081129173718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081205100139.htm Scientists are exploring the value of immersive online games known as Alternative Reality Games to expand the horizons of teaching and learning. Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081205100139.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117220257.htm Mathematics students have made a significant new discovery in the mathematical field of number theory. They have discovered the first known example of a 3 by 3 by 3 generalized arithmetic progression (GAP). Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117220257.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113101424.htm Both heart rate and sleep in boys are affected by violent video games. In the study boys (12-15) were asked to play two different video games at home in the evening. The boys' heart rate was registered, among other parameters. It turned out that the heart rate variability was affected to a higher degree when the boys were playing games focusing on violence compared with games without violent features. Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113101424.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103180252.htm It's not just American kids who become more aggressive by playing violent video games. A new study showed effects of violent video games on aggression over a 3-6 month period in children from Japan as well as the United States. Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103180252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081028132303.htm Computer science experts have managed to crack the so-called McEliece encryption system. This system is a candidate for the security of Internet traffic in the age of the quantum computer -- the predicted super-powerful computer of the future. Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081028132303.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030201607.htm It's the most famous chord in rock 'n' roll, an instantly recognizable twang rolling through the open strings on George Harrison's 12-string guitar: the opening chord to the Beatles song "A Hard Day's Night." Now, a researcher has used a mathematical calculation known as Fourier transform to solve the Beatles' riddle. The process allowed him to decompose the sound into its original frequencies using computer software and parse out which notes were on the record. Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030201607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081027121515.htm New research in Psychological Science suggests that there may be a way to identify future scientists and engineers. Adolescents who had scored in the top 1 percent on the math portion of the SAT were more likely to go on to receive advanced degrees, author a peer-reviewed scientific publication or earn a patent as adults. Tue, 28 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081027121515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081026102246.htm Approximately two-thirds of Americans voting in the November Presidential election will cast their votes on paper ballots. How can voters be assured their votes are counted and kept private? Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081026102246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081020120101.htm A mathematician who has applied mathematical modeling techniques to elucidate the dynamics of scoring in baseball, has computed the probability of the Rays and Phillies winning the World Series now that the Rays have defeated the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081020120101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010081648.htm A culture of neglect and, at some age levels, outright social ostracism, is derailing a generation of students, especially girls, deemed the very best in mathematics, according to a new study. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010081648.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924151007.htm New research could change the way we view math difficulties and how we assist children who face those problems. Scientists are using brain imaging to understand how children develop math skills, and what kind of brain development is associated with those skills. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924151007.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915083727.htm In the movie The Game, the character is hounded by villains and left for dead in Mexico in an intense version of an alternative reality game. Minus the Hollywood bravado, games that merge the virtual with the real could be the next entertainment revolution. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915083727.htm