Into the Swarm

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JCU professors set to host "swarm intelligence" event on campus: Monday, 9/28 @ 11 a.m. How do birds flock together without bumping into each other? Why are honeybees such good team players? Why does the stock market behave in a certain way? The answer to all of these questions may be swarm intelligence. Marc Kirschenbaum, Ph.D., and Dan Palmer, Ph.D., professors in John Carroll's Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, have researched swarm models for several years. They have studied patterns that affect how crowds of people naturally figure out problem-solving strategies in a wide range of settings that include natural disasters, military missions, and the workplace. With the goal of raising awareness of how math and science are at work in these situations, as well as in our everyday lives, Palmer and Kirschenbaum will hold a special problem-solving event on campus in September. The Challenge: Can a crowd of people find a hidden target or the highest peak in a landscape using swarm behavior? Monday, September 28, 2015 11 a.m. (check this page for potential updates of the event time) Hamlin Quad Please contact Dr. Kirschenbaum (kirsch@jcu.edu) if you are interested in participating, or just show up and be ready to have fun while building your math skills! More details about swarm intelligence and an upcoming local workshop for researchers can be found here.

August 27, 2015