Mathematics and the Environment

Newsletter October 2013

…an informal update on the development of mathematics at Exeter’s Penryn Campus in – the programme,

the people involved and their research. The maths behind the image: Waves and Energy. Maths matters. Mathematics is vital for “Living With Environmental The mathematical models Change” [Source: www.lwec.org.uk, LWEC UK initiative]. The world is for nature’s data and signals changing. The environment, are waves: light, sound and, nature and human society are constantly shaping and changing of course, water. Scientists our planet. Mathematicians are and mathematicians, leading the attempts to create models to predict climate change and teaching and researching work on the mathematical challenges in forecasting environmental here on the Penryn Campus change. Markus Mueller, mathematics lecturer in Cornwall, recently in Cornwall, are uniquely attended a LWEC scoping workshop under this headline. In a combined placed to study ocean effort the UK’s governmental agencies, the research councils, the Met waves. How can we Office, Natural , and the Technology Strategy Board are funding understand patterns of interdisciplinary research that will help to solve the challenges caused waves in the Cornish sea, for by and causing change. With the BSc Mathematics and the example the “Cribbar” (see Environment we are teaching the mathematics at the heart of these image) at in challenges to “living with environmental change”. , and in the oceans? Summer placements. The Nuffield What are the significant Foundation sponsored three year-12 wave heights, frequencies students from colleges in Cornwall and directions? How are to work with us on mathematics waves created: through local projects during their summer winds or far distant storms? holidays. Alice Joy Evans worked on How can we use maths to “How do things spread?,” Angus process signals measured MacDougall worked on “Power using high-tech equipment Sums” and Richard Topolcany worked on “Iterative schemes.” Alice Joy such as WaveRadar, says: “My project was really exciting and I learned so much, for WaveBuoys and Acoustic example how to apply mechanics to model disease dynamics and how Doppler Current Profilers? to use scientific computing to produce amazing video simulations of Can wave prediction help us spreading infections.” Angus adds: “The staff encouraged me to work to design and optimize ships on my own project, giving me valuable insights.” and devices that harness power from the waves?

Find us: emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/undergraduate/degrees/environment/

People. “I’m Stuart Townley. This time next year we will have welcomed the first Our research. mathematics students to Cornwall. Exciting Colin Torney, mathematics times! Our hopes are slowly turning into lecturer in Cornwall, and his reality, preparation is well underway – new colleagues from Princeton maths staff have arrived, the group is growing. University have showed Putting the new programme in place has taken a lot of my time and how animals are much energy, but I have still found time for research. Right now, Richard smarter in a group than Rebarber is visiting us from UNL in the US. In December, I will attend a when alone. A study in workshop “Towards an Evolutionary Theory of Nongenetic Effects” at “Science” demonstrates how the Lorenz Center in Leiden, NL. Well, I hope to see you soon.” fish schools respond to Spot-light on the curriculum. The new programme launching in 2014, information in their features the module Fundamentals of Interdisciplinary Mathematics – environment in ways that students will explore topics in environment and sustainability from a individuals cannot. mathematical, statistical and computational perspective. Each topic http://phenomena.nationalg will start with a plenary-style colloquium from an expert environmental eographic.com/2013/01/31 scientist. Then, students will work in groups to develop and apply a /the-real-wisdom-of-the- variety of mathematical techniques either inspired by or to analyse and crowds/ dissect the expert’s opinion, before presenting findings to their peers.

Even a little bit of mathematics matters. Recently, we helped Channel Scholarships. Digital Limited, a small Cornish business in Penryn, to solve a problem The University is offering a on missing survey data with a little bit of maths and signal processing: £1,000 undergraduate we were able to reverse engineer the missing bits of the data. This was Scholarship to applicants a crucial step in the design of a Quality Management Software. living and/or studying in Cornwall starting in Teaching. This summer year-12 September 2013 or 2014. Residential Students on Penryn http://www.exeter.ac.uk/st Campus had the opportunity to udying/funding/prospective attend a range of academic /entrance/ sessions, for example “Recognising Songs with Maths”. We investigated “Fingerprints” Puzzle Corner. of Music: Songs are made up by The solution: There are 204 the sound of various instruments and voices which we can break down squares on a chessboard. into sine-waves with different frequencies and high (yellow peaks in The new puzzle: Can you the figure) or low volume (red valleys). We can use the location of the peaks and valleys to identify a song by its fingerprint. This is the idea cover a chessboard, which behind applications like Shazam© or SoundHound©. two opposing black corners are missing, with 31 dominoes?

Find us: emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/undergraduate/degrees/environment/