Latest Articles
‘Outsiders’ Crack 50-Year-Old Math Problem
Three computer scientists have solved a problem central to a dozen far-flung mathematical fields.
A Magical Answer to an 80-Year-Old Puzzle
Using crowd-sourced and traditional mathematics research, Terence Tao has devised a solution to a long-standing problem posed by the legendary Paul Erdős.
The Connoisseur of Number Sequences
For more than 50 years, the mathematician Neil Sloane has curated the authoritative collection of interesting and important integer sequences.
A Design Dilemma Solved, Minus Designs
A 150-year-old conundrum about how to group people has been solved, but many puzzles remain.
For Persi Diaconis’ Next Magic Trick …
A mathematician who has analyzed card shuffling for decades is tackling one final nemesis: “smooshing.”
Mathematicians Chase Moonshine’s Shadow
Researchers are on the trail of a mysterious connection between number theory, algebra and string theory.
Prime Gap Grows After Decades-Long Lull
A year after tackling how close together prime number pairs can stay, mathematicians have now made the first major advance in 76 years in understanding how far apart primes can be.
A Grand Vision for the Impossible
Subhash Khot’s bold conjecture is helping mathematicians explore the precise limits of computation.
A Tenacious Explorer of Abstract Surfaces
Maryam Mirzakhani, who became the first woman Fields medalist for drawing deep connections between topology, geometry and dynamical systems, has died of cancer at the age of 40. This is our 2014 profile of her life and work.