SIMIODE Challenge Using Differential Equations Modelling (SCUDEM) V 2021

During SCUDEM V 2021 (SIMIODE Challenge Using Differential Equations in the period 23 October – 14 November 2021, three-member student teams (Gabriel Jonathan, Indriana Marcela, Laurentius Michael) from Institut Teknologi Bandung, INDONESIA, with preliminary help from coach Dr. Ikha Magdalena, worked on one of three challenge problems in which they created a mathematical model using differential equations and prepared a ten-minute video presentation on their work for judging. Teams consisted of undergraduate students from one institution as well as teams in which individual students and coaches signed up and SIMIODE, the host organization, assigned students and coach to a team. In all, students worked as teams, in some cases across the globe, and in most cases remotely on one of three scenarios and then produced a ten-minute video to share their results and get feedback from some 265 faculty judges.

Students attempted to address a problem using the power and elegance of the mathematics they have learned and do learn in doing their problem and then share it with others in their video presentations. This year’s challenges from which students selected the problem they wished to work included, Hair Pulling To Line Your Nest, Throw The Bike Or Throw The Race, Submitted a Tweet, Now What? Statements of all three problems are available at https://qubeshub.org/community/groups/scudem/forum/default-section/scudem-vi-2021-problems
Our team chose problem 2: “Throw the bike or throw the race”. The mathematical model that our team formulated highlights how important the bike throw can be at the finish of a bike race. We explore our mathematical model to determine just how precise the timing must be for the bike throw to be effective. When should a rider stop pedaling and shift her weight backwards to thrust the bike forward? What is the best position for the cyclist and what are the trade-offs for a more precarious hand position that might provide more movement at the expense of less control? Also, what is the time interval that a professional cyclist must exploit for this move to be effective?