Dr Tariq Jarad

Room: E115

Phone: 0161-247-1487

Email: T.Jarad@mmu.ac.uk

TJ.1 Second Order Linear Differential Equation with Variable Coefficients: Analytical Solution
& Applications (MA, CH)
Available: Yes
Credit Rating: 30 Credits
Subject Areas: Applied Mathematics
Project Description
nd
The purpose of this project is to investigate and recalculate some of the exact solutions of 2 ODE with
variable coefficient for certain conditions. The student will be able to investigate and find the essential
features of these equations that represent real-live problems in many field such as engineering,
economics and others. The research will include both analytical studies and applications.
Skills/Requirements
The project will suit a student with a good level of knowledge in calculus and software, such as,
Matlab, MathCAD or Maple.
TJ.2 The Mathematics of the Enigma Machine (MA, CH)
Available: Yes
Credit Rating: 30 Credits
Subject Areas: Applied Mathematics
Project Description
The Enigma machine was a mechanical device used by the German forces in the Second World War
to encrypt secret messages. The breaking of these messages by a team of cryptographers at
Bletchley Park was one of the major achievements of the war. Contemporary historians estimate that
the breaking of the secret codes shortened the war by at least two years. In this project the student
will investigate the mathematics that lead to the breaking of the Enigma machine. The World Wide
Web includes many sites specialising on the Enigma machine. These sites will provide a rich source
of information on the history and mathematics behind the Enigma machine. The project will suit a
student who likes history and has an interest in cryptography.
Skills/Requirements:
References:

TJ.3 Curlicues (MA, CH)

Available: Yes
Credit Rating: 30 Credits
Subject Areas: MA
Project Description
The Oxford English dictionary defines a curlicue as a fantastic curl or twist. In mathematics a curlicue
is a hierarchical pattern of spirals drawn in the complex plane using a mathematical formula.
The form of the pattern depends on the arithmetic of a parameter . The more complicated the form
of the more complicated and fantastic is the curlicue. These patterns are intricate superposition of
spiral structures forming a hierarchy whose scaling depends delicately on the nature of . They have
a long history in number theory starting with Gauss and have many applications for example in
determining the light diffracted by a grating with many slits.
To understand how these patterns change with Berry and Goldberg (1988) introduced a
renormalization transform that related a spiral to a similar sum with fewer terms. This paper was the
first to appear in the journal Non-Linearity (see below) and has attracted considerable interest with
over 30 citations in the decade since its publication. For this project I expected the student to review
the renormalization transform of Berry and Goldberg's paper by providing worked examples showing

how the renormalization technique helps explain the curlicue patterns, using MATHCAD to produce
the curlicues.
Skills/Requirements: The project will suite a mathematics student who is looking for a project that
combines mathematical analysis with a small amount of simple computing.
References M V Berry and J Goldberg, Non-Linearity, 'Renormalization of Curlicues', Non-Linearity
Vol. 1, 1, 1-26, 1988
TJ.4 Mathematical Aspects of Sudoku Squares (MA, CH)
Available: Yes
Credit Rating: 30 credits
Subject Areas: MA
Project Description
Recently I came to work by train and was surprised by the number of passengers who were trying to
solve a Sudoku number puzzle (see a simple example at the bottom of the page). Although these
puzzles have been around for over 70 years, they have only become a craze in the last year or so.
Virtually everyone who tries Sudoku does not realize that it has a strong link with mathematics. Some
of the obvious questions lead to difficult mathematical solutions; is there a practical method for solving
such a puzzle; how many different puzzles are there; how can one construct a puzzle with a unique
solution? This project will answer such questions by looking at the mathematics of Sudoku. These
questions are not easy to answer and only students who prefer hard mathematics should attempt this
project.

Simple Problem
Fill in the grid below so that every, column, row and 33 box contains exactly one of the digits from 1 to 9.
2
7
1
3
6
1
8
3
5
4
5
4
2
7
9
4
9
8
7
3
3
2
8
8
9
1
7
5
8
9
4
5

TJ.5 The Mathematics of Optical Bistability (MA, CH)

Available: Yes
Credit Rating: 30 Credits
Subject Areas: Applied Mathematics
Project Description
The optical bistability (Hysteresis Cycle) is one of the interesting phenomena due to the interaction
of matter and radiation and it has generated considerable interest in both theory and experiment in
the last 25 years. This project concentrates on the mathematics of optical bistability (OB) in an optical
cavity, a ring cavity, excites by a laser at, or near, resonance with the cavity. In this project the student
will need a brief physical background to discuss the OB before the mathematical equations are
introduced and examined.
Skills/Requirements
The project will suit a student with good knowledge in calculus, discrete mathematics and software,
such as, Matlab, Mathcad or Maple.
References

1. Bonifacio, R. and Lugiato, L. A., Optical Bistability and Related Devices Opt. Commun. 19,
pp. 172-6, 1976
2. Macall, S.L., Optical Bistability and Related Devices Phys. Rev. A9, pp. 1515-23, 1974

TJ.6 Functions of Complex Variables (MA)

Available: Yes
Credit Rating: 30 Credits
Subject Areas:
Project Description
Complex variable analysis is one of the most beautiful topics in the whole of mathematics. Problems
that are intransigent in real analysis can often be solved quite simply with complex variables. You will
study the Cauchy-Riemann equations, poles and residues and contour integration amongst other
things.
Skills/Requirements
The project will suit a student with good knowledge in the methods of calculus in both years one and
two before attempting this project.