Category Archives: Mathematics
Calculating a spacecraft optimal trajectory
The Mars 2020 rover mission is the next step in robotic exploration of the Red Planet. Unlike Curiosity, Mars 2020 will try to find answers to key questions about the potential for life on Mars, seeking signs of habitable […]
The properties that characterize the definition of Nash equilibrium
Strategic decision is the object of study for Game Theory, a discipline that started officially with the book The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior, by John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern . For non-cooperative games, i.e., games in which […]
A model for the perfect espresso coffee
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed drinks in the world. Several brewing methods can be used to prepare it depending on the consumer’s taste – or the lack of it – as well as cultural and geographical habits. […]
Finding collision-free tangential cutting directions when machining
One thing is designing an object in a computer, and another, quite different, is producing it as a real 3D object. All other things being equal, in general the more curves the designed object has, the more difficult it is […]
How to integrate astrocytes into systems neuroscience
The computer metaphor draws an analogy between the mind as software and the brain as hardware. In this metaphor, the focus of discussions is usually on the software part, taking for granted that the brain, or the whole nervous […]
Sensograph: Fast sensory evaluation using computational geometry
Sensory profiling is a very important tool in food industry, crucial in order to adapt the products to consumers’ preferences. Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) is a precise tool to relate characteristics of the product with consumers’ perception, since trained panels […]
Wildfire propagation modelling
Wildfires are a major problem with a strong impact on human life, property and the environment, Global warming and a legacy of poor management are the forces behind the increase in their occurrence and in their magnitude measured in extension. […]
How lithium ions move in substituted ceramic solid electrolytes
From electric vehicles to storing wind and solar energy produced during off-peak hours, rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are the best option that we currently have tu support our technological future. But if we want them to be truly environmentally-friendly and […]
Optimizing arrythmia ablation
The heart is a muscular organ with four chambers designed to work efficiently, reliably, and continuously over a lifetime. The muscular walls of each chamber contract in a regulated sequence, pumping blood as required by the body while expending as […]
Is thermal sterilisation of preservative-free rice cakes possible?
High-moisture soft solid snack foods such as rice cakes have become increasingly popular. Most of these snacks are freshly made and sold on the spot, whilst industrially produced versions use chemical preservatives to inhibit microbial growth and improve shelf life. […]