Clara Selbrede

IM I - 6 - 12AP
1/22/2018
Compiled Annotations

Crabtree, Steve. ​Wellbeing Lower Among Workers With Long Commutes​. TeamStrength, Inc.,
2010.

This article compiles statistics from the Gallup-Healthways Well-being Index Poll that
specifically pertain to reported effects on long commutes as they are experienced by people with
long commutes. The statistics show and obvious and significant trend towards lower scores on
the well-being index that directly correlates to longer commutes. The one-page summary also
includes written interpretation of the statistics. The statistics and conclusions that this article
draw will be useful to support the conclusion of the researcher’s paper, with both solid,
experience-based statistics, and quotable summaries and conclusions.

De Schutter, B., and B. De Moor. “Optimal Traffic Light Control for a Single Intersection.”
European Journal of Control​, vol. 4, 1998, pp. 260–76.

This article details how the authors used a particular mathematical model to optimize the timing
of the traffic lights for a simple intersection. First they set up the problem of traffic build up with
a description of the usefulness of less traffic at intersections, then in the next section, they
meticulously describe their model and its notation. They conclude by actually showing that a
solution can be obtained through this method and then giving an example. In addition, the article
discusses extensions to the basic model and supplements explanations with graphs and equations.
This article can be used to help set up the mathematical model for the researcher to use. While
the exact model cannot be duplicated for the specific scenario in question, because it provides
one example of a traffic model, it will be useful for idea generation. Additionally, the
introduction will provide relevant background knowledge on the problem.

de Treville, Suzanne, and Ann van Ackere. "Equipping students to reduce lead times: the role of
queuing-theory-based modeling." ​Interfaces​, vol. 36, no. 2, 2006, p. 165+. ​Academic
OneFile​, Accessed 22 Jan. 2018.

This article discusses a deficit in the ability of students to properly decrease lead times, the time
it takes for a product to be produced from beginning to end, through decisions because the
majority of the thinking is counterintuitive. To fix this problem, the authors suggest the creation
of mathematical models, in particular those that focus on queuing theory. The remainder of the
article gives explanations on queuing theory, its usefulness, and various examples of
applications. This article will serve as a good introduction to queuing theory as a method of
mathematical modeling which will help the researcher in creating such a model for her project.
Because it is a resource meant for teachers, it will be more helpful than learning from a
high-level article that is simply application.
“Functions.” ​MathWorks​, The MathWorks, Inc, 2017. Accessed 10 Sept. 2017.

This website was published by the company that sells Matlab and is a general resource for how
to use it. This particular page is a list of all of the functions that are needed to use Matlab. It can
either be sorted by category or alphabetically. For each function, it lists the syntax and a brief
description of what each function does. For example, Under “Data Types” in “Numeric Types”
the syntax “single” is labeled as “converts to single precision”. As these descriptions are not very
detailed, one can be redirected to a page with more information about each function by clicking
on its syntax. This website in general will be necessary for both gaining familiarity with Matlab,
as well as finding specific function during use.

Garten, James F., et al. “Modeling the Transport and Dispersion of Airborne Contaminants: A
Review of Techniques and Approaches.” ​Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest,​ vol. 24,
no. 4, 2003, pp. 368-375. Web. 18 September 2017.

This article was published by APL, so it is a good example of some of the work in Applied
Mathematics that is being accomplished there. It is, however, from 2003, so the work is not
exactly recent. In this article, one example of the type of modeling done at APL is mentioned in
terms of airborne disease spread. It shows both the computer side and the analytical math side to
the problem. This article was mainly helpful to the investigator in terms of learning how to read
mathematical writing and technical writing in general, but it also was informative about one
instance of mathematical modeling, and could be used as a basis for a research topic.

Ingraham, Christopher. “The Astonishing Human Potential Wasted on Commutes.” ​The

Washington Post​, 25 Feb. 2016.

This article details specifically the detriments of long commutes on various aspects of life,
specifically focusing on statistics. It opens by discussing the commute as most americans know
it, revolving around averages over the years, and then focuses on the growing trend of long
commutes. The author then discusses the time drain that occurs with long commutes and argues
for the societal benefits that could arise if that time could be directed towards other things,
measuring the waste in both time and happiness. The author uses a variety of methods
throughout to make the concepts more impactful. For example, he expresses the same statistic in
minutes, hours, days, and years. This article will be useful for adding facts to the researchers
final conclusion in addition to arguable statistics.

Jain, Apurv. "Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens
Democracy." ​Business Economics​, vol. 52, no. 2, 2017, p. 123+. ​Academic OneFile​,
Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.
This article is a review of Cathy O’Neil’s ​Weapons of Math Destruction written by Apurv Jain
which summarizes the book and its main themes. ​Weapons of Math Destruction was written in
2016 to discuss how big data and advanced analysis of such data has impacted society, and her
view is not positive. She discussed how mathematical and computer models of various situation
are detrimental to society due to their ability to disadvantage the vulnerable. Another important
theme is how sometimes a variable that was skipped over can cause a mathematical model to be
faulty and inaccurate. This text is a good example of applied mathematics in the real world
which can help put other research into perspective. It also gives a good example of mathematics
applied to a non-STEM field.

Kumar, Ekesh. ​Development, Optimization and Analysis of Cellular Automaton Algorithms to

Solve Stochastic Partial Differential Equations.​ N/A, N/A.

This is an almost finalized draft of a research paper drafted by another intern working under Dr.
Gorman. The content of this paper is Stochastic Partial Differential Equations and their
applications to a cellular automaton model of a partial differential equation used to model the
probability of a random walk that’s not entirely random. A Stochastic variable is one that
includes a “random” factor. It is essentially comprised of a list of possible values along with a
function denoting their probability of occurrence, yet which value is used at which time or for
which object is still random. This is useful, for example, if a ship’s starting location and velocity
are known, but then the remaining directions are not. It is more likely that it will not turn very
much than it will turn 180 degrees, and this bias can be modeled with the equation. This article
will be useful to the researcher as an example of the structure of an intern-created paper and will
contain useful explanations for the utilization of a cellular automaton in Matlab.

“Learning Matlab.” ​Matlabtips.com: Learning Matlab for New and Advanced Users​,
Matlabtips.com, 2015. Accessed 10 Sept. 2017.

This blog centers around tips for people who are learning matlab. Unlike the tutorials published
by Mathworks, these tutorials are made by users who have had to learn how to use the program
and so they are less technical. Additionally, the tutorials are split into basics, intermediate, and
advanced. This website is also more willing to discuss the downfalls of Matlab and comments
from previous users help clarify the content. One downfall of this blog is its unreliability due to it
not being a credible author/publisher. This blog will be helpful in learning the Matlab program
for the first time.

Løvås, Gunnar G. “Modeling and Simulation of Pedestrian Traffic Flow.” ​Transportation

Research Part B: Methodological​, vol. 28, no. 6, Dec. 1994, pp. 429–43.

This article discusses how Pedestrian traffic can be mathematically modeled. It steps through the
process of creating a simple model based off of logic and prior works, and clarifies where some
assumptions are made. Interestingly, the flow rate of a group of people up a staircase is not much
lower than a group of people going down. The next section develops this model, using both
graphs and equations to detail factors such as walking speed. The final section pulls knowledge
from every section to create significant graphs and draw conclusions. This source will be useful
as a reference for the derivation of a traffic model because of the similarities between car and
pedestrian traffic. It will also be useful to imitate the types of graphs and conclusions drawn.

Lyons, Glenn, and Kiron Chatterjee. “A Human Perspective on the Daily Commute: Costs,
Benefits and Trade-offs.” ​Transport Reviews​, vol. 28, no. 2, Mar. 2008, pp. 181–98.

This article is similar to the Washington Post article in content and premise but with some key
differences. First, its more academic audience allows it to delve into more technical statistics.
Additionally, it focuses more on reputable sources and analyzes stress and fatigue as well as
other health effects caused by long commutes. Finally, it also concludes with recommendations
for making the most of a long commute by utilizing that time for other purposes. The researcher
can use this article to support decreased commute times due to traffic. In particular its analysis of
health concerns. In addition, its different take on the potential usefulness of commutes can be
used to formulate a rebuttal to people who may argue that same idea.

Miller, Rich. “Generic Cost Per Mile Models.” ​Capitol Fax​, 19 Jan. 2010.

This blog post provides a sample cost analysis for various types of road construction. It lists out
the type of construction, such as new roads, maintenance, or additions, and gives the cost per
mile also considering the overall size of the road. It also divides the costs as they differ for urban,
suburban, and rural areas. It states that the numbers listed are sample numbers for reference. This
may be from a blog post, but the blog has been backed by a reputable organization, National
Journal, and the author has a background in the types of information he posts. This cost analysis
will be used as a reference number for the analysis of whether the time saved with the addition of
a turning lane will be worth the cost of the construction.

Mumaw, James R., Michael B. Gailey, and David A. Garber. “Physics-Based

Modeling to Reduce Extensive Full-Scale Testing.” ​Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest
33.4 (2017): 256–261. Web.

This article was published by Johns Hopkins APL, the site of the investigator’s internship, in
their quarterly unclassified publication. Additionally, it was published by the sector the
investigator will be working in. It details the progress in physics-based computer modeling of
underwater missile launches. Previous models were ineffective because they lacked the ability to
incorporate every factor, so APL relies on full-scale tests which are both costly and
time-consuming. In order to create a more effective underwater launch model, APL has been
comparing various computer simulation systems created both by APL personnel and by
independent contractors. APL initially tried to use data from previous missile tests to verify the
accuracy of their simulations, but determined that it would not be sufficient. This article will be
helpful for any background on the usefulness of mathematical models in decision making and
efficiency, and it is also a useful model for the structure of an engineering based paper.

Phillips, Christina S. “From Research to Education: Bringing Analysis into the

Irregular Warfare Classroom.” ​Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest ​33.2 (2015):
116–121. Web.

This article was published by Johns Hopkins APL, the site of the investigator’s internship, in
their quarterly unclassified publication. The author discusses resources for informing various
groups of people, such as students and professionals in the field, about irregular revolutions and
causes of insurgencies. The investigator determined that this article was unrelated to their topic
area after reading the abstract. It was a useful exercise in recognizing what sources are irrelevant
so next time the investigator does not waste time writing an annotation on it.

Rogers, Mason. Personal Interview. 12 September 2017.

Mason Rogers is an alumni of the Intern/Mentor program who worked with Dr. Gorman in the
past. He provided general advice specific to working with Dr. Gorman such as recommending
asking questions because Dr. Gorman will always try to answer them. In general, he gave an
detailed overview of what to expect when working with Dr. Gorman. Mason Rogers will be a
good source in the future for any questions specific to Applied Mathematics or working with Dr.
Gorman. His advice from this interview will be useful in the first few weeks of the internship to
help find the rhythm of working with Dr. Gorman.

Trossman, Sam. Personal Interview. 9 September 2017.

Sam Trossman is an alumni of the Intern/Mentor Program who worked at APL a few years ago.
Through Facebook messenger, he provided general insight into both the Intern/Mentor Program
as well as advice specific to an internship at APL. He answered questions surrounding the
workload as well as choosing a topic. He also recommended asking everyone at APL what they
do, as it is a good way to learn about some of the amazing things going on there. Sam Trossman
will be a good resource for any questions in the future about the process of the Program. His
responses can be compared with those of Mason Rogers to provide a diverse perspective.

Utomo, Putranto H., and Rusydi H. Makarim. “Solving a Binary Puzzle.” ​Open Access
Publication​, May 2017.

This paper is an explanation for solving a binary puzzle, a square grid which must be populated
from some existing inputs (like sudoku) to include no three 0’s or 1’s next to each other, a
balanced number of 0’s and 1’s in each row or column, and no repeated rows and columns. This
article details three methods for solving these puzzles, ranging from being based majority in
computer science to being based in applied math. This opens up a new possibility for projects as
it is not necessarily a real-world problem to solve, but a good practice in applied math. It is also a
good example to see how the same problem can be solved analytically using differential
equations and numerically assisted by computer programs.

van Ommeren, Jos N., and Eva Gutiérrez-i-Puigarnau. “Are Workers with a Long Commute Less
Productive? An Empirical analysis of Absenteeism.” ​Elsevier: Regional Science and
Urban Economics​, vol. 41, 2011, pp. 1–8.

This article describes one possible effect of a long commute on productivity. The specific
question was whether long commutes had a correlation with absenteeism, which can be defined
as the number of days that an employee is absent. Because this directly correlates to the
productivity of an employee, the main takeaway from this article will be if long commutes affect
productivity as measured though absenteeism. The majority of the article discusses the study
through which the results were obtained, including descriptions on what was measured and what
variables were kept consistent and descriptions on the type of statistical analysis performed.
There is also a section that looks at the sensitivity of the data and proves that possible sources of
error did not affect the study. The results of this article will be useful as support for a turning
lane to reduce commute time, because it will help prove that a reduced commute will have
positive results for the community as a whole.

Wang, Ruili, and Heather J. Ruskin. “Modeling Traffic Flow at a Single-Lane Urban
Roundabout.” ​Elsevier Science Computer Physics Communications​, 2002, pp. 570–76.

This article is similar in title to the Lovas article, but drastically different in content. The article
details the use of a specific method of modeling traffic patterns, specifically roundabouts. It
introduced the concept of a cellular automaton, a model comprised of a grid of squares, called
cells, that contain a value that changes based off a series of parameters. The article discusses the
creation, calibration, and testing of the model. The investigator can use the information in this
article if to research if a cellular automaton is an effective solution to the traffic modeling
problem and also use the article as a reference for the actual creation and testing of the model.

“What​ ​is​ ​Applied​ ​Mathematics?”​ ​University​ ​of​ ​Utah​ ​Department​ ​of​ ​Mathematics.​ ​Web.​ ​18
September​ ​2017.

This​ ​article​ ​was​ ​written​ ​as​ ​an​ ​introduction​ ​to​ ​an​ ​unknown​ ​book​ ​and​ ​published​ ​by​ ​a University.​ ​In​
​this​ ​article,​ ​the​ ​author​ ​describes​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​basics​ ​of​ ​Applied​ ​Mathematics. According​ ​to​ ​the​
​article,​ ​what​ ​defines​ ​a​ ​problem​ ​as​ ​Applied​ ​Math​ ​is​ ​its​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​express​ ​its importance​ ​without​
​any​ ​introduction​ ​or​ ​explanation.​ ​Applied​ ​math​ ​uses​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​complex theories​ ​to​ ​break​
​down​ ​mathematical​ ​models​ ​of​ ​scenarios.​ ​A​ ​large​ ​part​ ​of​ ​applied​ ​math​ ​is simplifying​ ​problems​
​down​ ​just​ ​enough​ ​so​ ​that​ ​they​ ​are​ ​solvable,​ ​but​ ​still​ ​impactful.​ ​This​ ​source, while​ ​published​ ​by​ ​a​
​reputable​ ​university,​ ​is​ ​slightly​ ​less​ ​confidently​ ​reliable​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​error​ ​of using​ ​the​ ​noun​ ​version​
​of​ ​the​ ​word​ ​“effect”​ ​in​ ​the​ ​verb​ ​context;​ ​however,​ ​because​ ​the​ ​paper​ ​is​ ​not about​ ​a​ ​humanities​
​subject,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​a​ ​less​ ​significant​ ​error. This​ ​article​ ​will​ ​help​ ​as​ ​general​ ​resource​ ​for​ ​explaining​
​background​ ​information​ ​such​ ​as what​ ​is​ ​important​ ​about​ ​Applied​ ​Mathematics,​ ​and​ ​what​
​separates​ ​it​ ​from​ ​Pure​ ​Mathematics.​ ​It​ ​also includes​ ​lists​ ​of​ ​courses​ ​in​ ​Applied​ ​Mathematics​
​which​ ​will​ ​be​ ​a​ ​good​ ​resource​ ​for​ ​college​ ​course selection.