Complex mathematical problems that keep computers hectic for days do not prove to be a hard nut to crack for bees.

According to a fresh study, bees are the only living things, beside humans, which can solve the "travelling salesman problem". That classic puzzle involves discovering the shortest possible route which lets a travelling salesman to call at all the sites he has to visit.

A modern computer solves the puzzle by evaluating the length of all routes and selecting the shortest. On the other hand, a bee can reach the same solution using their brain that is equivalent to a grass seed in size.

Dr. Nigel Raine, of University of London, said that bees find the shortest possible route as they use lots of energy to fly between flowers.

Speaking on the topic, Dr. Raine added, "Despite their tiny brains, they are capable of extraordinary feats of behaviour. We need to understand how they can solve the travelling salesman problem without a computer. What shortcuts do they use?"

The research has implications for the human world as the modern living depends on networks such as traffic flows and business supply chains