A mathematical equation created in Mexico for predicting how an object grows or shrinks, using digital images, is proving useful for many sciences, particularly medicine. “It's very simple, but it is widely accepted and is already being used in many developed countries in the medical field, something we had not imagined when we came up with it,” Ernesto Bribiesca, mathematician at the Autonomous National University of Mexico and creator of the formula, told Tierramérica.

The “compacity” equation, first revealed in 2000 in various scientific publications, is used for measuring the conformation of the mass of any object and to project its reduction or expansion.

The equation is helping doctors predict the growth of cancerous tumors or any organ of the body, as well as the changing shape of a mountain, a plant or any other thing, Bribiesca said.