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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

Researchers urged to re-emphasise regeneration of grassroots
2013-10-23

23 October 2013

Institutions of higher learning have a critical role to play in the promotion and protection of indigenous knowledge systems. This is according to Dr Mogomme Masoga, UFS alumnus and Senior Researcher with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).

Dr Masoga was addressing the 6th annual Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Symposium at the University of the Free State’s Qwaqwa Campus.

“The time has come for local communities rich with knowledge to be taken seriously by the researchers doing their work in those respective communities,” argued Dr Masoga.

“Power relations between the researcher and the communities involved in the research process should be clarified. The same applies to the ownership and control of knowledge generated and documented in a community.

“There is an increasing need for democratic and participatory development in our communities. This can be achieved by giving primacy to the interests, values and aspirations of the people at large. There must be a radical move from prevailing paradigm of development that suffers from relying on coercion and authoritarianism. There is a need to associate development with social needs. This will give validity and integrity to the local communities, thereby giving confidence to the leaders and their constituencies.”

Dr Masoga said that the time has come for African universities in particular to “de-emphasise factors that monopolise attention today. Factors like debt crisis, commodity prices and foreign investment, among others, must be replaced by emphasis on the regeneration of the grassroots. Many African universities and research institutions have not lived up to their responsibilities as guiding lights to the continent. However, all is not lost.

“The current global race for knowledge works against so-called developing countries, especially in Africa. There is a far greater need to have a code of ethics drawn up for researchers engaging with local communities, to ensure the promotion and protection of indigenous knowledge systems.”

Meanwhile, a cross-section of papers were also delivered during the symposium. These ranged from Moshoeshoe’s lessons in dealing with poverty alleviation as presented by Dr Samuel Mensah, Department of Economics, to indigenous grasses of Qwaqwa by Prof Rodney Moffett, Department of Plant Sciences. Also presenting lectures were Phephani Gumbi, African Languages; Tshele Moloi, School of Mathematics; Natural Sciences and Technology Education and Dr Tom Ashafa (Plant Sciences).

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