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Kevin Hartnett

Kevin Hartnett

Contributing Writer

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Latest Articles

520px photo of Robert Langlands
Abstractions blog

Robert Langlands, Mathematical Visionary, Wins the Abel Prize

By Kevin Hartnett
March 20, 2018
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Generations of researchers have pursued his “Langlands program,” which seeks to create a grand unified theory of mathematics.

Photograph of Albert Einstein in his office at the University of Berlin, published in the USA in 1920.
Abstractions blog

How Einstein Lost His Bearings, and With Them, General Relativity

By Kevin Hartnett
March 14, 2018
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By 1913, Albert Einstein had nearly completed general relativity. But a simple mistake set him on a tortured, two-year reconsideration of his theory. Today, mathematicians still grapple with the issues he confronted.

Animated illustration of a black hole in a cube of jelly
mathematical physics

To Test Einstein’s Equations, Poke a Black Hole

By Kevin Hartnett
March 8, 2018
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Two teams of researchers have made significant progress toward proving the black hole stability conjecture, a critical mathematical test of Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

520px photo of army ants forming a bridge
Abstractions blog

The Simple Algorithm That Ants Use to Build Bridges

By Kevin Hartnett
February 26, 2018
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Even with no one in charge, army ants work collectively to build bridges out of their bodies. New research reveals the simple rules that lead to such complex group behavior.

520px photo of smarticles
Computer Science

Smart Swarms Seek New Ways to Cooperate

By Kevin Hartnett
February 14, 2018
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New algorithms show how swarms of very simple robots can be made to work together as a group.

Photo of smoke
Abstractions blog

What Makes the Hardest Equations in Physics So Difficult?

By Kevin Hartnett
January 16, 2018
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The Navier-Stokes equations describe simple, everyday phenomena, like water flowing from a garden hose, yet they provide a million-dollar mathematical challenge.

520px photo of Richard Schwartz
Q&A

In Praise of Simple Problems

By Kevin Hartnett
January 9, 2018
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The mathematician Richard Schwartz finds the hidden depth lurking in simple mathematical puzzles.

Simulation of Kelvin-Helmholz Instability
fluid dynamics

Mathematicians Find Wrinkle in Famed Fluid Equations

By Kevin Hartnett
December 21, 2017
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Two mathematicians prove that under certain extreme conditions, the Navier-Stokes equations output nonsense.

Jennifer Balakrishnan and Sachi Hashimoto, plotted using SageMath
Abstractions blog

Mathematicians Crack the Cursed Curve

By Kevin Hartnett
December 7, 2017
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A famously difficult mathematical problem resisted solution for over 40 years. Mathematicians have finally resolved it by following an intuition that links number theory to physics.


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