Mathematical Modelling Archives

Taming the oil price

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Belleh Fontem has devised a mixed-integer, non-linear programme that considers multiple inputs into the volatile world of oil prices and commodity stock trading, and the complexities of the risk facing brokers and their clients in terms of oil prices.

For the foreseeable future, the world will need oil, but its price volatility makes buying and selling it a challenge for producers and the myriad manufacturers who need it. For brokers who sit in the middle of such transactions, finding the optimal price and the number of clients to spread their risk is one of their biggest challenges. Belleh Fontem, […]

Malaria modelling: An optimal control problem

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Professor Wandi Ding uses mathematical modelling to allow for control variables when modelling complex biological systems; in this case determining the best way to control wild mosquito populations through the release of sterile insects to reduce the impact of malaria

Malaria, a life-threatening mosquito-borne disease, is a leading cause of death and infection in many developing countries. Using mathematical modelling, Professor Wandi Ding, Middle Tennessee State University, USA, and her colleagues investigate optimal control of malaria, using both the sterile insect technique and insecticide-treated nets. Their simulations show that a combination of both strategies results in a more rapid elimination […]

New pipelining method for heavy oil: Stabilising the flow of high viscosity fluids during transportation

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Minimising the losses during heavy oil transportation is of tremendous importance for the industry.

Professor Ian Frigaard and Dr Parisa Sarmadi from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia specialise in industrial applications of non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics and mathematical modelling of Complex Fluids. They developed a method to overcome interfacial instabilities of lubricated pipeline flow during the transportation of higher viscosity fluids, such as heavy oil, coatings, and cements. They […]

Evaluating students’ perceptions of the roles of mathematics in society

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Mathematical models Toshikazu Ikeda Research Outreach

Toshikazu Ikeda, Professor of Mathematics Education at Yokohama National University, has found that while mathematical modelling is often evaluated with respect to mathematical attributes, little academic consideration has been given to the non-mathematical viewpoint. To fill this knowledge void, he has developed an analytical tool to evaluate the changes in students’ perceptions of the roles of mathematics in society following […]