Algorithms

Researchers have designed and built a quantum computer from five atoms in an ion trap. The computer uses laser pulses to carry out Shor’s algorithm on each atom, to correctly factor the number 15.

The beginning of the end for encryption schemes?

New quantum computer, based on five atoms, factors numbers in a scalable way.

March 3, 2016

MIT spinout Benefits Science Technologies developed software that predicts emerging health risks among employees to design optimal health care plans for companies.

Startup optimizes corporate health care plans

Software mines insurance claims data to determine best coverage for employees, within a budget.

February 18, 2016

Communication system could make it easier to design systems that enable humans and robots to work together in emergency-response teams.

Enabling human-robot rescue teams

System could help prevent robots from overwhelming human teammates with information.

February 17, 2016

“The problem with planning contingencies is that there are so many things that can go wrong, if you generated plans for all possible contingencies, you’d go nuts,” Brian Williams says.

Automatic contingency planning

Algorithm lets planning systems generate backup plans efficiently.

February 15, 2016

Much of Daskalakis’ work concentrates on the application of computer science techniques to game theory, a discipline that attempts to get a quantitative handle on human strategic reasoning.

Computer science meets economics

Constantinos Daskalakis adapts techniques from theoretical computer science to game theory.

February 4, 2016

A new chip could enable devices that help visually impaired users navigate their environments.

A virtual “guide dog” for navigation

Low-power chip processes 3-D camera data, could enable wearable device to guide the visually impaired.

February 2, 2016

“One of the most intriguing aspects of this research is that we’ve found that there are indeed universal properties of correct code that you can learn from one set of applications and apply to another set of applications,” Martin Rinard says.

Recognizing correct code

Automatic bug-repair system fixes 10 times as many errors as its predecessors.

January 29, 2016

This diagram demonstrates the simplified results that can be obtained by using quantum analysis on enormous, complex sets of data. Shown here are the connections between different regions of the brain in a control subject (left) and a subject under the influence of the psychedelic compound psilocybin (right). This demonstrates a dramatic increase in connectivity, which explains some of the drug’...

A new quantum approach to big data

System for handling massive digital datasets could make impossibly complex problems solvable.

January 25, 2016

In a forest simulation, algorithms segment space into “obstacle-free regions” and then link them together to find a single collision-free route.

Drones dodge obstacles

Motion-planning algorithms allow drones to do donuts, figure-eights in object-filled environments.

January 19, 2016

Engineers at MIT have developed a queuing model that may help air traffic controllers direct departures more efficiently, minimizing runway congestion.

Cutting down runway queues

Model that predicts time from gate departure to takeoff could cut airport congestion, fuel waste.

January 14, 2016

MIT researchers fed their physics prediction system videos of collisions, shown as screenshots in (a) and (b), which were then converted into simulations generated by the 3-D physics engine, shown in (c) and (d).

Computer model matches humans at predicting how objects move

“3-D physics engine” from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory simulates the human brain to infer physical properties.

January 4, 2016

Researchers have developed a computational model of visual representation intended to reflect the way the brain works.

Machines that learn like people

Algorithms could learn to recognize objects from a few examples, not millions; may better model human cognition.

December 23, 2015

For each image, the MemNet algorithm creates a heat map identifying its most memorable and forgettable regions.

Deep-learning algorithm predicts photos’ memorability at “near-human” levels

Future versions of an algorithm from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab could help with teaching, marketing, and memory improvement.

December 16, 2015

CSAIL shows off demos to 150 high-schoolers for “Hour of Code”

Robots, 3-D printers, and a surprise guest aim to get students excited about computer science.

December 14, 2015

A new high-speed microscope produces images of chemical processes taking place at the nanoscale, at a rate that is close to real-time video. This closeup shot of the microscope shows transparent tubes used to inject various liquids into the imaging environment. This liquid can be water, acid, buffer solution for live bacteria, cells, or electrolytes in an electrochemical process. Researchers use o...

New microscope creates near-real-time videos of nanoscale processes

Instrument scans images 2,000 times faster than commercial models.