Picture Credit: http://www.cornell.edu/video/physics-theory-used-to-predict-crowd-behavior
MATHEMATICS – 30th August 2018
Researchers Successfully Predict Fruit Flies Crowd Behavior
Current mathematical models can only explain and describe crowd behaviors, yet research conducted in Cornell University showed the possibilities to predict the behavior of a crowd of fruit flies under a new environment.
Research done by J. Felipe Mendez-Valderrama, Yunus A. Kinkhabwala, Jeffrey Silver, Itai Cohen & T.A. Arias at Cornell University, Public Release on EurekAlert!
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Inspired by the method used to study electrons, Cornell Research team used an advanced mathematical model to predict the behavior of a large group of fruit flies.
The research team used a mathematical model called the Density-Function Theory. The team first tried to improve the theorem by using the data they collected on crowd behaviors. They also studied the behavior of a single fruit fly to improve the theory. Finally, the team took a step further by trying to apply the theory on a crowd of flies.
When the researchers tested the theorem by using it to predict the distribution of a group of flies in a confined space, the result fell into the acceptable range. They also performed a series of uncertainty calculation to strengthen the new theory.
Public Release: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-08/cu-ffa083018.php