Mathematical Tools Improve Theory, Prediction in Psychiatry

With the recent emergence of mathematical models to integrate insights emerging from studies of the brain and behavior, this approach has been used to develop new theoretical perspectives that can enrich data analysis to help explain mechanisms behind complex psychiatric diseases improved psychiatric treatment. The issue was organized by guest editors Dr. Tiago Maia of University of Lisbon, Dr. Michael Frank of Brown University, and Dr. Quentin Huys of University of Zurich and ETH Zurich.

“The state-of-the-art in research in psychiatry involves a bewildering variety of approaches and findings that often do not combine into a coherent whole,” said Dr. Maia.

But advancements in mathematical theory-based approaches are now making it possible to provide a more unified explanation with the power to predict phenomena.

“This approach has been a cornerstone of monumental achievements in theoretical physics that have had tremendous practical impact,” said Dr. Maia.

“I see theory-based computational psychiatry as a long-overdue effort to finally bring to psychiatry the same rigorous mathematical tools that have so successfully shaped fields such as physics — enriched now with the capacity for computational simulations, which vastly expand the range of problems that can be addressed mathematically.”

According to Dr. Huys, although the clinical utility of mathematical models in mental health remains to be proven, great excitement around computational psychiatry reflects the belief in its potential.

“The studies included in this issue of Biological Psychiatry showcase the utility of this formal approach and that it can enrich understanding and guide principled questions in need of further investigation, spanning a range of issues of central importance,” said Dr. Frank.

Reference: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170824094039.htm

 

New Math Models to Pick Up Where Computers Fail

With the great advances in computer in the recent years, many real-world processes are still so complex that defy the capability of even the most advanced supercomputers that’s why a call is being made to help.

As part of that effort, Us department of Energy has given a grant of $ 647,000 to Oregon State University to have advanced mathematics pick up where sheer computing power is inadequate.

The OSU mathematicians will be trying to model the flow of fluid through a porous medium, such as water through soil. It may sound simple, but in practice this can be so extraordinarily complex that there are still more questions than answers.

The program tackles problems of “multi-scale mathematics” – questions that span time scales from fractions of a second to years, and the atomic level to whole watersheds. The problems are so vast they cannot easily be broken down into simpler questions that could be solved using traditional mathematical techniques and models.

Even in the study of something as basic as water moving through soil, what you see depends on what window you look through, Showalter said.

Showalter said that conceptually, it’s similar to trying to describe the path of a butterfly on a long migration, rather than the up-and-down motion of its body with each cycle of its wings. Existing mathematics is able to do this averaging or “upscaling” in many cases.

Primary investigators on the OSU research will try to create new mathematical models that are able to tackle these topics, and then do analysis and simulation to study their accuracy.

With success, they said, someday the problems may be simplified enough that a supercomputer can handle them.

Reference: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/11/051125105520.htm

 

 

 

Indiana Public School set to Introduce Computer Science by 2021

Public school districts across Indiana are required to include computer science in their curriculum for students from kindergarten to twelfth grade by 2021. Monroe County Community School Corp, as of 2017, had introduced introductory computer science courses for its middle class and high school students.

Elementary schools only had numerous coding and robotics clubs but lacked a computer science curriculum. This is where people like Katy Sparks, the district’s STEM, and computer science coach and a member of the MCCSS.

The MCCSS team spent much of the summer creating a computer science curriculum for the K-6 students in the district. They come up with easy-to-grasp lessons that teachers would easily teach in classrooms.

Since September, Spark and her team have created numerous lessons and come up with classes whereby they teach computer science standards. Ideally, the lesson id taught in pairs. The coach leads one while the teacher takes on the other in such a way the teacher is not overburdened.

Meanwhile, the standards include but not limited to coding. Additionally, the standards also enlighten the students on the effects of technology and equip them with necessary online ethics. Some ethics include how to use technology positively.

In elementary school, students work with block-based coding platforms, in middle school, they are introduced to a written code while in high school the actual coding takes place.

Children at elementary level do not use computers to code. Basically, the lessons are related to math and languages. Sparks refers to the lessons as “unplugged.”

In the meantime, teachers are gradually integrating the curriculum into their teachings and coaches are hopeful that they will soon feel comfortable teaching most of the lessons on their own.

Source: http://www.govtech.com/education/Indiana-Public-Schools-Get-Ready-to-Include-Computer-Science-in-Curriculum-by-2021.html

 

Top Mathematics and Computer Science Jobs

The following are the most lucrative jobs for mathematics and computer science majors

1. Software Engineer

Job description: as a software engineer you are tasked with creating the actual programs that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer and other devices. Additionally, software engineers create underlying systems that control networks or run these devices.

2. Programmer Analyst

Job description: Basically, computer systems analysts study organization’s current computer systems and procedures and come up with solutions that let the organization’s system carry out tasks more efficiently and effectively.

3. Programmer

Job description: computer programmers ideally write and test codes that run computer programs and applications. They turn the program designs created by software engineers into instructions that programs can execute.

4. Consultant

Job description: management analysts study an organization and propose ways that can improve the efficiency and productivity of an organization. Ideally, they look for ways to reduce expenses while increasing returns.

5. Systems Administrator

Job description: they regularly monitor a company’s network and computer systems which are a vital component of any organization.

6. Computer Hardware Engineer

Job description: Ideally, they design, develop and test computer components such as circuit boards. They need to stay abreast of current trends in order to develop hardware that can accommodate the latest application.

7. Web Developer

Job description: they basically create the technical structure for websites and make sure they are working accordingly and accessible through various devices. They create sites to maximize the number of visitors through SEO.

8. Computer Network Architect

Job description: they design, implement and maintain network systems. They can include local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), intranet and extranet.

.

Source: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-jobs-for-computer-science-majors-2059634

 

 

 

CUR Math/CS Division its 2018 Faculty Mentor Award Recipients

The Council on Undergraduate Research Mathematics and Computer Science division has finally announced its 2018 Faculty Mentor Award recipients. The award recognizes those that mentor undergraduate researchers.

And the recipients are:

1. Liz Bouzarth

She is a mathematics associate professor at Furman University in Greenville, SC. Her research predominantly revolves around the application of mathematics in sports, health and other community engagement projects within Furman.

Bouzarth often collaborates with students during her research and engaged learning projects, mentoring and scholarships.

Meanwhile, she has collaborated with two colleagues at Furman to come up with a project dubbed Math and the Mouse. The three-week program enables students to learn about the application of mathematics and other related topics in Walter Disney World.

2. Gabriela Marcu

Marcu is an assistant professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan. In a bid to facilitate coordination and equity in the delivery of behavioral services and support, she combines community-based participatory research, computing and interaction design in her research.

She is also the director of Empathic Research Group, an interdisciplinary team that is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, HRSA, NSF, and NIH.

3. Karl Schmitt

He is an assistant professor and director of data sciences at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso. He directs the bachelors in science in data science at the institution. His research primarily focuses on the application of data science in networks and graphs.

Additionally, he has designed and implemented an introductory course in data science for students with minimal programming skills.

The 2019 Faculty Mentor Awards nomination process is now open and the deadline is March 31, 2019.

Source: https://www.newswise.com/articles/cur-mathcs-division-selects-2018-faculty-mentor-awardees

 

 

 

UTD Math and Computer Science Departments Add a New Degree in Data Science

The University of Texas Dallas is constantly looking for ways to come up with degree programs that will increase their graduates’ job placement opportunities. And not any other job, nut the most lucrative jobs in the country.

The Department of Computer Science and the Department of Mathematical Sciences have collaborated to offer a cross-disciplinary degree in Data Science. The first class will commence in the spring semester of 2019. It is one of its kind in North Texas.

Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and The School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will oversee the new curriculum. The curriculum is bound to provide a strong foundation in computer science, mathematics, and statistics.  Upon conclusion, the graduate will be in a position to quickly and accurately draw conclusions from large data sets.

Meanwhile, Glassdoor an authentic and prominent job market website placed data scientist at the top of its best jobs in America list. The standings were based on job placement, earning potential and job satisfaction.

Dr. Gopal Gupta, Erik Jonsson head of the computer science department said that data science can be used across different disciplines.

“Data science is becoming increasingly important today. Every field or organization has big problems that it wants to be solved, and they are in possession of a large amount of relevant data. Data science can help solve these big problems,” he said.

The program also offers a capstone project course that significantly improves one’s certificate in data science, computer science, and mathematical science.

The new degree program houses a balanced mixture of computer science, statistics and math courses. As a graduate, you can work in the banking sector, healthcare, retail, government, and technology among others.

Source: https://www.utdallas.edu/news/campus/math-computer-science-departments-collaborate-to-offer-data-science-bachelors/

 

 

New Data Science Course by the University of Texas to Back up Computer Science and Mathematics.

A new cross-disciplinary course for undergraduate students is being introduced in the University of Texas at Dallas. This is a great opportunity for the students who will be empowered with the best know-how suitable to secure a job in the most trending field across the country.

Bachelor’s in Data Science is a course being offered by two collaborative departments in the university, that is the Department of Computer Science and that of Mathematical Science. This course, which is one of its kind in the entire North Texas region, will pick up as from the 2019’s spring semester.

Data science is focused on methods suitable for drawing accurate conclusions faster from huge data sets. The new curriculum will be overseen by the School of Engineering and Computer Science of Erik Jonsson, and the School of Natural sciences and Mathematics. The curriculum for this undergraduate degree will be laying a firm foundation in mathematics, statistics and computer science.

For three consecutive years, Glassdoor has always ranked data scientists atop in the 50 best paying jobs in America. This is not only based on potential earning but also in the number of available jobs and in job satisfaction.

Data science which uses the mathematics statistical method is applicable in many fields and its importance is only increasing.

The university has already designed seven new classes for the program, based on helpful inputs from the relevant organization in curriculum development. This is a less common program and it will be the second one in Texas.

 

References

https://www.utdallas.edu/news/campus/math-computer-science-departments-collaborate-to-offer-data-science-bachelors/

 

 

The Trump Administration and Apple Collaborate to Support STEM and Computer Science Studies.

The Trump Administration has been working tirelessly in support of STEM and computer science studies for students, which is said to impart valuable skills to the students, especially in such times and era. This week Ivanka Trump made a joint visit to Wilder Elementary School in the rural part of Idaho district together with Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, for the 1-to-1 iPad initiative.

The two spent quite some time with 1st-grade students in their classroom as they observed the young minds use iPads and some of the installed students-friendly apps to craft videos to illustrate living and non-living things differences. Other students also used the iPads to program Sphero robots using coding skills.

It was the desire of the school for Ivanka and Cook to spend some time with the students and see how they can be engaged by STEM in a more personalized learning approach, which they did.

This school which is a low-income one, began the personalized learning program for educational transformation three years ago, using the mastery-based approach. Apple donated iPads to the students through the Obama-era program, a ConnectED initiative meant to improve connectivity and bring ed tech in schools. With this personalized program the students can choose to do digitally-based projects or not, says the Jeff Dillion, one of the senior administrator in the school.

Ivanka has been on the forefront in championing this embrace of technology in STEM and also calling for girls to embrace STEM to close the gap of women underrepresentation in STEM careers. She even went for a summer coding class together with her small daughter as a way of touting the importance of STEM.

Apple too has been championing for computer science studies and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). The company has already announced the “hour of code” session that will be held daily in the Apple stores from 1-14 Dec, for six consecutive years.

 

References

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2018/11/ivanka_trump_apples_tim_cook_p.html

Mathematicians Calculate The Safest Way Home For Pedestrians

The newest in the computer science involves the development of mobile App that guides pedestrians along the safest instead of the quickest route, by researchers at Cardiff University.

Pedestrians accounted for 24% of all road deaths in Great Britain in 2015, According to the UK Department for Transport. This innovation can score the safety of a given area using sophisticated mathematical algorithms, which if implemented, can reduce road traffic casualties by far.

A study in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, researchers have shown how a novel system for scoring the safety of an area can successfully predict the likely number of road casualties. The computer algorithm considers some factors– the type of street, possibility of jaywalking and the speed limits of each road in a given area, unlike apps like Google maps which only reveal the quickest way home without giving potential danger signals.

The scoring has been tested on 15 cities in the UK with Liverpool ranking as having the most unsafe roads whereas Bath was deemed to have the safest.

This novel system could help city planners and developers, specifically when assessing how changes to a city’s infrastructure may affect road safety, such as the pedestrianizing of roads or the changing of speed limits.

“Our next aim is to translate this research into a product that the public can use.’’ Says Dr. Padraig Corcoran. “We envisage something very similar to Google Maps in which a user can input their destination and then choose a route that utilizes our algorithm and gives them the safest possible journey instead of the quickest. This could definitely save lives and would go some way to reducing the high levels of causalities both here in the UK and across the world.”

Computers Effective In Verifying Mathematical Proofs

A mathematical proof is a manifestation of pure logic and truth. But an increasing number of mathematical proofs are now impossible to verify with absolute certainty, safe through the latest development of computer tools.

When mathematicians prove theorems traditionally, they usually present the argument in narrative form. They gloss over details they think other experts will understand; they take shortcuts to make the presentation less tedious, they appeal to intuition, etc. The correctness of the arguments is subject to the scrutiny of other mathematicians. It is sobering to realize that the means by which mathematical results are verified is essentially a social process and is thus fallible. When it comes to central, well-known results, the proofs are exceptionally checked, and errors eventually found.

Nevertheless, there are many undetected false results in mathematical history, as other require complicated proofs. To get around these problems, computer scientists and mathematicians began to develop the field of formal proof powerful enough to handle difficult proofs.

In simple cases, one can feed a statement to a computer proof assistant and expect it to hand over a proof. Rather, the mathematician has to know how to prove the statement; the proof then is greatly expanded into the special syntax of formal proof with well spelled out steps. Computers can also explore mathematics on their own, coming up with unnoticed exciting conjectures.

Four new articles explore the current state of the art of formal proof and provide practical guidance for using computer proof assistants.  One long-term dream is to have formal proofs of all of the central theorems in mathematics, and the four collections of proof would be akin to “the sequencing of the mathematical genome.”

Reference: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081106153638.htm