Human circadian rhythms, or internal clocks, are roughly 24-hour cycles that many body systems obey, usually alternating between wakefulness and rest. Scientists are still working to understand a group of neurons known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), or master clock.
Using mathematical modeling techniques and differential equations, the team of Applied Mathematics researchers modeled the SCN as a macroscopic, or big-picture, system consisting of a seemingly infinite number of neurons.
They were particularly interested in understanding the coupling of the system—the connections between neurons in the SCN that allow it to achieve a shared rhythm.
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