NOVID - Using math to fight COVID-19

Every angle of the COVID-19 epidemic through the lens of math, starting from estimating the number of infections early on in the outbreak before tests were readily available, to analyzing the "flatten-the-curve" theory of social distancing, to using graph theory, trigonometry and a little simple physics to show how contact-tracing can be accurately and effectively done. See how the NOVID app, developed by Po-Shen Loh, utilizes all these key ideas.



Each Spring, Po-Shen Loh offers professional development mini-courses at Math for America, an organization committed to teachers, which builds and supports communities of teachers of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. He was scheduled to give 3 mini-courses this Spring, but their in-person meetings were canceled due to COVID-19. He will live-stream them instead from the Daily Challenge studio.

Due to the timeliness of the topic, Po-Shen Loh will discuss some areas of math that are embedded in the free NOVID app that was launched today to provide anonymous contact tracing. In particular, he will explain how Trigonometry is truly useful in real life.