Opale, On-time photosynthesis activity level examiner

This project concerns the realisation of a technical instrument for the quantitative determination of the photosynthetic activity of the plants. The clorophyllian photosynthesis is correlated to various factors, amongst them the more important ones appear to be temperature, brightness and carbon dioxide presence. Thus, this technical device was set up to determine the interrelations that connect the process of photosynthesis of a plant to the quantitative relieves of the three aforesaid factors. OPALE is born, therefore, as a prototype for the monitoring of the processes of photosynthesis in controlled conditions; it is able to collect data through a IRGA system, to transmit them to a datalogger, which collects them, and send to a PC for process the opportune simulations. With this instrument characterised by great versatility it is possible, thus, to reproduce particular stress conditions of the environment and to measure the influences that these operate on the metabolism of the observed plant.
 

Giacomo PULINA (20)

City/Region: Milan
E-mail: giacomopulina@hotmail.com
Hobbies: Mathematics, Reading, Chatting, Computer Science, Riddles
Career: Engineer
School: Politecnico di Milano

A low complexity sorting algorithm. Developing and testing

The aim of this study is to realize a simpler algorithm in respect of the most diffuse ones (bubble sort, quick sort, merge sort). In order to measure the simplicity of his algorithm, the student has lead different series of sorting experiments. He calculated the time needed for every process and counted the number of operations carried out during the experiment. The purpose of the project is to realize an algorithm that is able to "see" all the relations of a considered numerical set. If the calculation considers a number not only for its relative value to an other number, but regarding all the other numbers, a more efficient algorithm would be obtained. This hypothesis has been verified through a wide series of operations and has turned out that a linear dependency between everyone of the parameters exists which the experimental algorithm depends upon. The conclusions regard the possibility to realize an algorithm effectively faster and simpler.
 

Elisabetta CHIODAROLI (18)

City/Region: San Rocco al Porto
E-mail: lucky.2001@libero.it
Hobbies: Travelling, Reading, literature and history of art, music, Dancing and playing the guitar
Career: Researcher or Architect
School: The "Lorenzo Respighi" Scientific High School

Davide SOLENGHI (18)

City/Region: Piacenza
E-mail: stefano_solenghi@virgilio.it
Hobbies: Reading, Playing football
Career: Civil Engineer
School: The "Lorenzo Respighi" Scientific High School

Following the anchovies to the discovery of Ligurian Sea

This project is an attempt of creating a mathematical model for describing population dynamics of anchovies in the Ligurian Sea. The numerical analysis of the relative data of the population of Engraulis Encrasicholus reported in 1999 has been centralized on the application of a time-space dynamics connected to the atmospheric conditions in order to simulate the movement of the considered biomass. Moreover, the model of Beverton-Holt has been applied to the sampling data and the numerical calculation has been lead with the Matlab software that represents a language of programming finalized to the formal setting of matrices and to the visualization of complex analyses through diagrams to two and three dimensions. It emerges that the biomass of anchovies in the study area shows cyclical dynamics that could reflect the combination between the development explained by the Beverton-Holt model and the fishery policy simulated in the course of the survey. This study places itself borderline between mathematical sciences and natural sciences and reflects the meaningful words of Galilei: "the great book of the nature is written in mathematical language”.