Professor Susana Fernandes and doctoral student José Pereira from the Faculty of Science and Technology (FCT) of the University of Algarve (UAlg) won the Prize for Best Young Researcher Article «Timberlake» for the article «Two-variable linear programming: a graphical tool with Mathematica”, which they presented at the last International Conference on Algebraic and Symbolic Computation, which took place in Lisbon.
The professor of the Department of Mathematics and the PhD student in Computer Engineering presented, in this work, an innovative didactic tool – the GLP_Tool – which allows to graphically explore and solve problems of linear programming with two variables.
«The GLP_Tool, which was implemented with the Wolfram Mathematica computational algebra system, is a fully interactive and dynamic graphical tool. After introducing the data of the instance to be studied, the user will be able to vary all the coefficients of the problem and verify the corresponding changes, either in the graphical representation or in their optimal values, in real time», described UAlg.
The graphical solution of linear programming problems is currently present in mathematics subject programs, both in university and secondary education.
«The authors believe that the GLP_Tool will be an asset in the teaching/learning of Linear Programming in particular and of Mathematics in general», added the Algarve Higher Education Institution.
At the same time, they consider the collection of this international award “a recognition of the quality of the work carried out, an appreciation of research and dissemination of Mathematics and an incentive to the production of teaching tools”.
The «Timberlake – SYMCOMP2013» award is a monetary value attributed by Timberlake Consultants (which represents Wolfram Mathematica in Portugal) to the best articles by young researchers, presented at the international conference Algebraic and Symbolic Computation.
The tool will soon be available, free of charge, on the website of the Wolfram Demonstrations Project.
Comments