Can mathematics help you cook just enough?
Leftovers are usually no issue. But what if you’re cooking for hundreds of people? Using
mathematics, specifically the Central Limit Theorem, we try to cook just the right amount.
The puzzle of creating a puzzle
How to create curved Nonogram puzzles and why it may be harder than you think!
BeyondTheEdge Kicks Off
In November 2024, the Kick-Off meeting for BeyondTheEdge: Higher-Order Networks and Dynamics took place at Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam. The event marked the official start of the project, read an interview with Christian Bick, Principal Investigator and Project Coordinator of BeyondtheEdge.
Maximising efficiency is risky business (Part 3) - A view on interdisciplinary research
In the first article of this series I described how logistic chains work. In the second article, we went one step further and dived in the mathematics. In this third part I discuss some personal experiences and ideas regarding interdisciplinary research.
Maximising efficiency is risky business (Part 2) - The mathematics behind logistics chains
We can use mathematics and more specifically networks to study logistics chains. In the first article we described how logistic chains work. In this second part, we go one step further and dive in the mathematics.
Maximising efficiency is risky business (Part 1) - Logistics chains and cascading small delays
Think of a local car dealer selling cars in your region. To make sure new cars are delivered on time a whole mechanism involving various people, factories, and transport companies, must operate in coordination. This is a highly complex process where mathematics plays an important role.
Prizes for outstanding mathematics (Part 2)
Two weeks ago I had the pleasure to attend two events where prizes for outstanding research in mathematics were awarded, one of them was the CWI Best Thesis in Applied Math 2024. It was a great pleasure to be there, to chat with (most of) the candidates, and to learn what they have done during their bachelor and master thesis'.
Prizes for outstanding mathematics (Part 1)
Two weeks ago I had the pleasure to attend two events where prizes for outstanding research in mathematics were awarded, the Christiaan Huygens Science prize and the CWI Best Thesis in Applied Math 2024.
The friendship paradox - and how it might produce a biased world
Have you ever found yourself less popular when compared to your friends? Interestingly, in any group of individuals, on average, people have fewer friends than their friends do, or at the very most, an equal number. Not more!
Ding-Dong! Finally, your delivery driver is at your door
Elisabeth already has an idea in mind: she would like to find the fastest possible route that goes to each address exactly once before finally returning to the station. This task is a well-known mathematical problem, namely the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP)! How can she solve it?