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11 January 2018 Photo Charl Devenish
UFS researcher publishes the highest-cited Maths paper in the world in 2017
An article by Prof Abdon Atangana from the University of the Free State’s Institute for Groundwater Studies received New Hot Paper status from Clarivate Analytics.

An article on Applied Mathematics, published by Prof Abdon Atangana from the University of the Free State’s Institute for Groundwater Studies in 2017, was recently named New Hot Paper by Clarivate Analytics.

Hot paper status
Essential Science Indicators (ESI) is a unique and comprehensive compilation of science performance statistics and science trends. Data is based on journal article publication counts and citation data from Clarivate Analytics that enables researchers to conduct ongoing, quantitative analyses of research performance and track trends in science. Covering a multidisciplinary selection of 1 2000+ journals from around the world, this in-depth analytical tool offers data for ranking papers, scientists, institutions, countries, and journals. 

ESI from Clarivate Analytics is updated every two months. The New Hot Papers, which are papers published in the past two years, are in the top one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) for their field and publication period. Prof Atangana’s paper had the highest cite count in the field of Mathematics. 

His article that received the New Hot Paper status is titled: “The new fractional derivative and application to nonlinear Fisher’s reaction-diffusion equation”.

The concept of fractional differential operators with non-singular kernel has captured the minds of several researchers in the past year due to their wider applicability in almost all fields of science, engineering and technology. The new fractional differential operators have opened new windows to model complex real-world problems that could not be modelled using the Newtonian and the well-known Riemann-Liouville fractional differential operators. 

“These operators are the way forward in modelling real-world problems in all disciplines, as they are able to include into mathematical formulation the effect of memory,” Prof Atangana said.

The Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivative
The professor developed a new fractional differential operator, called the Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivative. This derivative is able to describe real-world problems with different scales or problems that change their properties during time and space, for instance, the spread of cancer; the flow of water within heterogeneous aquifers, movement of pollution within fractured aquifers and many others.”

News Archive

Record number of students to graduate at UFS
2017-06-19

Description: Day 2 Mid-year Graduation Bloemfontein Campus Tags: Day 2 Mid-year Graduation Bloemfontein Campus

Eleven graduation ceremonies will form part of the
mid-year graduation ceremonies at the
University of the Free State.
Photo: Charl Devenish

Livestream of Graduation Ceremonies

Six days, eleven ceremonies, and more than 5 000 degrees. This all forms part of what is the biggest set of graduation ceremonies in the history of the University of the Free State (UFS).

The mid-year graduation ceremonies, taking place from 19 to 26 June 2017 in the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus, will see the most students graduate during a week. A total of 5 258 degrees, which includes 460 master’s and doctoral degrees, will be conferred – including 72 doctoral degrees.

First graduation ceremonies for Prof Petersen
It will also be the first ceremonies that Prof Francis Petersen, new Rector and Vice-Chancellor, attends on the Bloemfontein Campus. Students from all seven faculties, as well as the South Campus, will graduate.

Graduates per faculty are (without master’s and doctoral degrees): Faculty of Education (488), Faculty of Health Sciences (345), Faculty of Theology (29), Faculty of Law (686), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (1 029), Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (1 044), Faculty of the Humanities (826), and the South Campus (354).

Guest speakers include three judges
Guest speakers for the ceremonies include Dipiloane Phutsisi, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of the Motheo TVET College in the Free State, Dr Susan Vosloo, UFS Council member and founder member of the World Society for Paediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, and Prof Petersen.

Three judges will also act as speakers. They are Justice Ian van der Merwe, Judge of Appeal at the Supreme Court of Appeal and former Chair of the UFS Council, Justice Mahube Molemela, Judge President of the Free State Division of the High Court and Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of South Africa, and Justice Connie Mocumie, Judge of Appeal at the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Graduations ceremonies:

19 June 2017:
09:00: Faculty of Education, except educational qualifications in Open Distance Learning –  South Campus
14:30: Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Theology and Faculty of Law (including the School of Financial Planning Law)

20 June 2017:
09:00: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences: All Bachelor’s degrees
14:30: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences: All Diplomas and Bachelor Honours degrees

21 June 2017:
09:00: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences: All Certificates, Diplomas, Bachelor’s degrees and Bachelor Honours degrees, excluding BCom degrees
14:30: Faculty of the Humanities: Social Sciences and Communication Sciences only

22 June 2017:
09:00: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences: BCom degrees only
14:30: Faculty of the Humanities: All qualifications except Social Sciences and Communication Sciences

23 June 2017:
14:30: Educational qualifications in Open Distance Learning – South Campus

26 June 2017:
09:00: All faculties except the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences: Master’s and Doctoral degrees
14:30: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences: Master’s and Doctoral degrees


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