Mathematical model to solve RP traffic?

MANILA, Philippines - A student of the University of the Philippines in Diliman has developed a new mathematical model that may be used in solving traffic woes in the country.

Mikhail Solon, 22, a fourth year Physics student, said his mathematical methodology could be applied or used as a model to study traffic flow analysis.

“The mathematical method might be used to treat other nonlinear problems… common examples are traffic, ice sheet thickness, etc.,” Solon said.

Solon’s study, entitled “Analysis of Selected Non-linear and Nonlocal Systems,” won the 2009 Best Project of the Year Award recently given by the Bank of the Philippine Islands Foundation Inc. and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Solon received a cash prize of P50,000 as well as a possible research grant of P200,000 from the DOST.

He said his study could be used by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), urban planners and engineers to study traffic flow and eventually craft means to solve the perennial problem of traffic in the Philippines.

He said engineers could use his mathematical model to study the concentration of vehicles in traffic areas, the distance, points of origin and destination of vehicles and apply this solution.

Stephen Baluyot from the Ateneo de Manila University was recognized as the first runner-up for his research on “cadang-cadang,” an indigenous disease known to afflict coconuts.

Marvin Masalunga, also from UP-Diliman, placed third for his project on the genetic diversity of microorganisms that cause commonly overlooked sexually transmitted diseases.

Baluyot and Masalunga received cash prizes of P30,000 and P10,000, respectively.

Now on its 20th year, the BPI-DOST Best Project of the Year Awards aims to recognize and provide incentives to graduating students in selected colleges/universities who excel in specialized fields of science, namely: mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, computer science and biology.