Fields Of Mathematics Research Articles

Against all odds: women's motivation to become STEM entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the motivations behind women in a developing South Asian country – Sri Lanka – to embark on entrepreneurship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, which is a doubly masculine hegemony operating within a culturally nuanced gendered context.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a qualitative research approach, conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 STEM women entrepreneurs, following the theoretical lenses of push and pull motivation theory and gender role theory.FindingsAlthough the motivations of STEM women entrepreneurs cannot be exclusively categorized as either push or pull factors, the pull factors had a greater influence on the participants in motivating them to become entrepreneurs. The primary motivators for starting businesses in STEM were: inspiration from something or someone, inner calling, the identification of business opportunities, the need for flexibility, necessity and/or desire to help society. It was often difficult to identify one dominant motivator in many instances, as many factors were interlinked to motivate women to start a business. The study also revealed that gender ideologies could stifle the participants' motivation, while the inner need to break these gender ideologies implicitly stimulated their motivation.Originality/valueThe study contributes to and expands the knowledge of STEM women entrepreneurs in general and to the limited existing knowledge of STEM women entrepreneurs in developing countries specifically. The paper brings contextual novelty as Sri Lanka produces more female STEM graduates than men, which is unique compared to most other parts of the world.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Data simulation of optimal model for numerical solution of differential equations based on deep learning and genetic algorithm

Calculus equation is an important tool for mathematical research and plays an important role in most natural science research. Since the beginning of the eighteenth century, people have gradually used differential and integral equations to solve physical problems. In general, several different aspects of differential equations in the field of mathematics are concerned and studied by most scholars. However, this paper studies and establishes the optimal model for numerical solution of differential equations through deep learning and genetic algorithm. In this paper, the solution of ordinary differential equations is solved through the use of polynomial function space, while the linear combination of simple function x and its product nx can obtain multinomial function space. The space function form of polynomial is very simple, and the operation ability is very strong. Almost all functions can be approximated, and the function space can be transformed by a simple function. Through data simulation test results, it can be found that the oscillation of neural network output is stronger and stronger with the increase in depth, that is to say, the deeper depth endows the neural network with stronger oscillation properties, so for the oscillation function, the depth neural network fitting effect is better than the shallow neural network. Therefore, by combining deep learning and genetic algorithm, this paper studies and establishes the optimal model for numerical solution of differential equations, and finds that the deep neural network can largely complete data simulation.

Local Fractional Strong Metric Dimension of Certain Complex Networks

Fractional variants of distance-based parameters have application in the fields of sensor networking, robot navigation, and integer programming problems. Complex networks are exceptional networks which exhibit significant topological features and have become quintessential research area in the field of computer science, biology, and mathematics. Owing to the possibility that many real-world systems can be intelligently modeled and represented as complex networks to examine, administer and comprehend the useful information from these real-world networks. In this paper, local fractional strong metric dimension of certain complex networks is computed. Building blocks of complex networks are considered as the symmetric networks such as cyclic networks C n , circulant networks C n 1,2 , mobious ladder networks M 2 n , and generalized prism networks G m n . In this regard, it is shown that LSFMD of C n n ≥ 3 and G m n n ≥ 6 is 1 when n is even and n / n − 1 when n is odd, whereas LSFMD of M 2 n is 1 when n is odd and n / n − 1 when n is even. Also, LSFMD of C n 1,2 is n / 2 ⌈ m + 1 / 2 ⌉ where n ≥ 6 and m = ⌈ n − 5 / 4 ⌉ .

Optimal control and non-zero-sum differential game for Hurwicz model considering uncertain dynamic systems with multiple input delays

ABSTRACT Uncertainty theory is a field in axiomatic mathematics committed to disposing of belief degrees. By dint of uncertain theory and Hurwicz criterion, this article mainly addresses optimal control and non-zero-sum differential game of uncertain delay dynamic systems, which are depicted as a sort of uncertain differential equation with multiple input delays. Employing the technology of dynamic programming, the optimality principle is put forward and the optimality equation is formulated simultaneously to deal with the optimal control problem. In addition, an equilibrium equation is derived to solve the Nash equilibrium for the multi-player non-zero-sum uncertain differential game on the strength of the proposed optimality equation. An example is devised to illustrate the availability of the results in the end.

A Local Instruction Theory for Emergent Graphical Shape Thinking: A Middle School Case Study

Emergent graphical shape thinking (EGST) involves interpreting or constructing a graph as dynamically generated, which is useful across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Although evidence suggests that students as young as middle school can engage in EGST with support, other research indicates most college students and U.S. teachers do not spontaneously engage in such reasoning when potentially productive. We describe a local instruction theory (LIT) to support middle school students developing EGST as part of their graphing meanings. We then present a case study to show how two students engaged with a task sequence designed with the LIT in mind to develop meanings for EGST. This article illustrates general principles researchers and educators could use to promote students’ graphing meanings.

Soviet experience in the management of applied and academic science: In memory of Academician G.I. Marchuk

Ten years ago, on March 24, 2013, Academician G.I. Marchuk died; his creative path includes outstanding results of basic and applied research in the field of computational mathematics and computer modeling, the creation of world-class scientific schools in atmospheric and ocean physics, nuclear reactor calculations, and mathematical immunology, as well as unique experience in managing industrial and mathematical science at the state level. The scientist’s behests, concentrated in his book The Science of Managing Science, indicate ways to reform the Russian Academy of Sciences, designed to ensure scientific and technological progress and sustainable development of society in our country.

Preface

Following the success of 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2021 International Conference on Science & Technology Applications in Climate Change (STACLIM), the Institute of Climate Change (IPI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is proud to extend our promotion of research and education for the advancement of climate change studies. The 2022 International Conference on Science & Technology Applications in Climate Change (STACLIM 2022) with the theme “Climate change mitigation action through the lens of science and technology” is the fifth in the series of conferences organized by IPI. This year the conference was carried out in virtual form through the Webex platform (29 – 30 November 2022) due to the COVID-19 travel restriction. Through the virtual form, the science community is able to share their research findings in time.The aim of this conference is to bring together researchers in fields of Environmental Science, Health Sustainability, Mathematics, Sustainable Energy, Economic Sustainability, Socio-Cultural Studies, Social Science, Atmospheric Science, and related fields, to present their research findings as well as create new opportunities for future research collaborations. This event is envisaged to witness active participation from various eminent environmental and earth scientists, engineers and students from academia, industry and government sectors for addressing complications associated with climate change and to draw forth novel and ground-breaking initiatives and solutions for climate resilience.The plenary sessions in the main room were opened by two keynote speeches from leading experts including Prof. Dr. Lisa Stein from University of Alberta, Canada on “Microbial Solutions to Mitigating Climate Change”, Prof. Dr. Haruko Kurihara from University of Ryukyus, Japan, on “Ocean acidification impacts on marine ecosystem and its potential mitigation solutions”. As the keynote session was open for public registration, we had participants joining the event. It was then followed by the invited speaker sessions consisting of Prof. Dr. Fredolin Tangang (UKM), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rawshan Ara Begum (Macquarie University, Australia), Dr. Shantanu Kumar Pani (National Central University, Taiwan) and Mr. Saud Aldrees (University of Oxford, England). The program was then continued with oral presentation of 72 papers in 3 parallel breakout rooms. Each presenter was given up to 15 mins for presentation and Q&A sessions. There were additional 13 non-presenters who joined in during the presentation session. Presenters and participants have attended the conference from their respective countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, USA, China, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Algeria, India, and Ukraine.The conference went well with great support and synergy of the staff and personnel from Institute of Climate Change, UKM. To document and promulgate the research findings and ideas shared, we are very pleased to publish the accepted research papers of STACLIM 2022 in IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (EES).The EditorsList of Organizing Committee is available in this Pdf.

Preface to the Special Issue on Behavioral Queueing Science: The Need for a Multidisciplinary Approach

Preface to the Special Issue on Behavioral Queueing Science: The Need for a Multidisciplinary ApproachModern service systems are economically important but operationally complex. In “Preface to the Special Issue on Behavioral Queueing Science: The Need for a Multidisciplinary Approach,” Ingolfsson, Mandelbaum, Schultz, and Yom-Tov discuss how this special issue advances the scientific study of queues in services systems by acknowledging the central role of human behavior. Behavioral queueing science requires a multidisciplinary approach, using tools that include mathematical modelling, lab experiments and field studies. Each discipline has strengths and weaknesses, but together they have complementing goals, and jointly they give rise to a scientific paradigm for behavioral queues. Cross-disciplinary work is challenging but necessary. The eleven papers in our special issue show how this can be done successfully while setting an example for future work.

Sequence Generation Model Integrating Domain Ontology for Mathematical question tagging

In online learning systems, tagging knowledge points for questions is a fundamental task. Automatic tagging technology uses intelligent algorithms to automatically tag knowledge points for questions to reduce manpower and time costs. However, the current knowledge point tagging technology cannot satisfy the situation that mathematics questions often involve a variable number of knowledge points, lacks the consideration of the characteristics of the mathematics field, and ignores the internal connection between knowledge points. To address the above issues, we propose a Sequence Generation Model Integrating Domain Ontology for Mathematical question tagging (SOMPT). SOMPT performs data augmentation for text and then obtains intermediate text based on domain ontology replacement to facilitate deep learning model to understand mathematical question text. SOMPT is able to obtain dynamic word vector embedding to optimize the textual representation for math questions. What’s more, our model can capture the relationship between tags to generate knowledge points more accurately in the way of sequence generation. The comparative experimental results show that our proposed model has an excellent tagging ability for mathematical questions. Moreover, the sequence generation module in SOMPT can be applied on other multi-label classification tasks and be on par with the state-of-the-art performance models.

A Novel Proof of the Desnanot-Jacobi Determinant Identity

Summary We present an alternate proof for the Desnanot-Jacobi identity using induction, basic matrix algebra and elementary differential calculus. It is an instructive demonstration of how it is occasionally necessary to utilize results from different fields of mathematics to solve a specific problem.

What experiences constitute failures? High school students' reflections on their struggles in STEM classes.

Inculcating the capacity to adapt successfully to failures is essential for talent development in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Despite its importance, this capacity to learn from failure is among the least understood processes in the field of talent development. This study aims to investigate how students conceptualize and react to failures and whether there is a correlation between students' conceptualizations of failure, emotional reactions to it, and academic performance. We invited 150 high-achieving high school students to share, interpret, and label their most memorable struggles in their STEM classes. Most of their struggles focused on the learning process itself, such as poor understanding of the subject matter, insufficient motivation or effort, or adopting ineffective learning strategies. Poor performance outcomes, such as poor test scores and bad grades, were not mentioned as frequently as the learning process. Students who labeled their struggle experiences as failures tended to focus more on performance outcomes, whereas students who labeled their struggle experiences as neither failures nor successes focused more on the learning process. Higher-achieving students were also less likely to label their struggles as failures than less-high achievers. Implications for classroom instruction are discussed with a particular focus on talent development in STEM fields.

Novel analytical solutions of stochastic Ginzburg-Landau equation driven by Wiener process via the improved modified extended tanh function method

In this manuscript, the improved modified extended tanh integration technique is implemented to investigate the exact solutions of stochastic Ginzburg–Landau model driven by Wiener process which appeared in various fields of chemistry, mathematics and physics. Many types of stochastic wave solutions are raised such as hyperbolic stochastic solutions, trigonometric stochastic solutions, Weierstrass elliptic stochastic solutions and Jacobi elliptic stochastic solutions. Moreover, 3D and 2D graphical representations are depicted to show the effect of the multiplicative noise on the propagated waves. The results reveal that as the noise level increases, the wave degrades. The wave is distorted when σ⩾1. In addition, the 3D graphical representation show that the propagated wave is flattered when the noise strength is increased. These solutions may be applicable in various applications in applied science. The proposed method is efficient, direct and powerful.

Effects of a STEM-oriented lesson series aimed at inclusive and diverse education on primary school children’s perceptions of and sense of belonging in space science

ABSTRACT The number of women and underrepresented individuals working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields does not reflect the diversity of our societies. Even if children have an interest in STEM, they may not consider choosing a study or career in that direction if their perception is that they would not belong in science. This study examines the effects of a STEM lesson series aimed at inclusivity and diversity on children’s perception and sense of belonging in space science. Before and after the lesson series, children filled out a questionnaire aimed at eliciting their perception of space science and space scientists. After the lessons, a subsample of children was interviewed about the effects of the lesson series on the children’s perception and sense of belonging regarding space science. Six months after the last lesson took place, children from two classes filled out a short survey with open questions to measure retention. The results of this study showed that the lesson series had a significant impact on children’s perception of space scientists, and that the implementation of the lessons facilitated thinking about (a future in) space science. This lesson series has succeeded in changing children’s perception of space scientists as a diverse and international group of people.

Teachers’ Perceptions of Increasing STEM Self-Efficacy Among Female Middle Grades Students

A gender gap persists in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Although females constitute half the total workforce in the United States, they make up just greater than a quarter of employees in STEM fields. In recent years, one approach to addressing the gender gap in STEM has involved middle grades science teachers helping young adolescent females view themselves as potential scientists from a young age. Through a variety of targeted strategies, science teachers have supported female students in building STEM self-efficacy by encouraging their participation in varied initiatives. This qualitative multi-case study investigated how two middle grades science teachers build STEM self-efficacy in female students both during and outside of formal instruction. Data sources included surveys, interviews, and classroom artifacts. Findings featured specific examples of classroom initiatives that participants believed built female students’ self-efficacy as well as participants’ reasoning for the initiatives’ use and perceived outcomes of their utility. Our findings also indicated that participants’ efforts to build female students’ STEM self-efficacy were hampered by participants’ lack of clarity regarding the meanings of STEM education and STEM self-efficacy. Implications for middle grades teacher education and STEM-focused professional development are included.

Modern perspectives in Proof Theory.

Modern perspectives in Proof Theory.

Special Issue “Trends in Fractional Modelling in Science and Innovative Technologies”

Fractional calculus has played an important role in the fields of mathematics, physics, electronics, mechanics, and engineering in recent years [...]

Examining Barriers to Entry: Disparate Gender Representation in Cybersecurity Within Sub-Saharan Africa

Globally, women are underrepresented in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), this underrepresentation is even more prevalent, as fewer women pursue STEM careers in SSA when compared to the global norm. Cybersecurity is a critical subsection of STEM; one that is widely accepted as a field with enormous growth potential, yet only a small proportion of these jobs belong to women. Despite attempts to narrow the gender gap in cybersecurity, persistent factors still contribute to this disparity. Within this field, developing countries struggle with the same issues that impact their more developed counterparts. Issues that impact both SSA and the global participation of women in cyber-security include lacking representation and awareness as well as retention problems. Further, issues such as harassment, gender bias and the idea that cybersecurity is a “man’s world” are also contributing factors. A slew of other factors is also at play in SSA; this includes issues of low school attendance by girls, restricted educational opportunities, and other systemic challenges. Girls and women are less likely to complete lower and secondary education, which has a ripple effect – fewer women reach higher education in SSA when compared to global trends. Generally, higher or tertiary education is necessary to join the cybersecurity workforce. Research exploring the challenges women in SSA face when trying to enter the cybersecurity field is limited. This paper presents an overview of the most persistent challenges faced in SSA and globally. It highlights the current skill shortage in the cybersecurity field that is exasperated by global challenges, including issues unique to the region. Educational pathways available to girls and women are explored, as well as the issues leading to widespread skill shortages within SSA. Programs striving to increase the participation of women in cybersecurity are discussed. Lastly, some suggestions to remediate this pervasive issue are also provided.

A Math Ed Take on a Love-Hate Relationship A Review of Reuben Hersh and Vera John-Steiner’s Loving + Hating Mathematics: Challenging the Myths of Mathematical Life

I found that Loving + Hating Mathematics: Challenging the Myths of Mathematical Life ended up being an interesting choice for me to write a review on from the perspective of a mathematics educator. My research has focused on the perceptions that individuals bring about mathematics to a teacher education program. I have found it interesting that every year the majority of the future teachers either focus on the negatives of mathematics or the rules and formulas that they see as the foundation (Holm, 2018). Rarely am I told about the beauty and elegance of the subject that seems to drive the mathematicians to live and breathe this field. For this review, I have chosen to focus on how the teaching of mathematics could be conceptualized in a way that allows the learners to experience what seems to drive the mathematicians whose stories are told in this book. Through the words of Hersh and John-Steiner as well as my observations of the book, I will also discuss some of the inequities that are a struggle in the field of mathematics as a whole in order to ponder why there seems to be a push and pull between many mathematicians and mathematics educators when it comes to the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Editorial

Editorial

Numerate Life for Whom? A Non-book-review of John Allen Paulos’s A Numerate Life: A Mathematician Explores the Vagaries of Life, His Own and Probably Yours

A common, widespread view on the field of mathematics entails that “mathematics is dry as dust [and] as exciting as a telephone book” (Davis & Hersh, 1981, p. 169), and that the professional mathematician is merely “a kind of calculator” (Krull, 1987, p. 48). Even more provocatively, mathematics is conceived by many of the general public as a “deadend” discipline in which all questions have already been answered, where nothing worthwhile is left for further investigation (Movshovitz-Hadar, 2008). However, mathematics is an active, growing, open-ended field – a fact which can be illustrated, amongst others, by the exponential growth in the number of new articles that are published per year (Dunne, 2019). Furthermore, the common perception of the subject by the people who are working within the field – the mathematicians themselves – is that mathematical work is creative in nature and often driven by its intrinsic aesthetic dimension (e.g., Brinkmann & Sriraman, 2009; Gadanidis, 2012; Sinclair, 2004).