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Kevin Hartnett

Kevin Hartnett

Contributing Writer

Twitter

Latest Articles

number theory

Mathematicians Clear Hurdle in Quest to Decode Primes

By Kevin Hartnett
January 13, 2022
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Paul Nelson has solved the subconvexity problem, bringing mathematicians one step closer to understanding the Riemann hypothesis and the distribution of prime numbers.

topology

How Tadayuki Watanabe Disproved a Major Conjecture About Spheres

By Kevin Hartnett
October 26, 2021
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Watanabe invented a new way of distinguishing shapes on his way to solving the last open case of the Smale conjecture, a central question in topology about symmetries of the sphere.

Illustration showing yellow and green shapes over a blue background
topology

In Topology, When Are Two Shapes the Same?

By Kevin Hartnett
September 28, 2021
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As topologists seek to classify shapes, the effort hinges on how to define a manifold and what it means for two of them to be equivalent.

topology

New Math Book Rescues Landmark Topology Proof

By Kevin Hartnett
September 9, 2021
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Michael Freedman’s momentous 1981 proof of the four-dimensional Poincaré conjecture was on the verge of being lost. The editors of a new book are trying to save it.

Illustration of colorful flowchart using raised blocks against a black background
proofs

Proof Assistant Makes Jump to Big-League Math

By Kevin Hartnett
July 28, 2021
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Mathematicians using the computer program Lean have verified the accuracy of a difficult theorem at the cutting edge of research mathematics.

Illustration showing geometric figures at left connected via wormhole to numbers at right.
Langlands program

New Shape Opens ‘Wormhole’ Between Numbers and Geometry

By Kevin Hartnett
July 19, 2021
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Laurent Fargues and Peter Scholze have found a new, more powerful way of connecting number theory and geometry as part of the sweeping Langlands program.

Math Meets QFT

A Video Tour of the Standard Model

By Kevin Hartnett
July 16, 2021
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The Standard Model is a sweeping equation that has correctly predicted the results of virtually every experiment ever conducted, as Quanta explores in a new video.

Math Meets QFT

Nathan Seiberg on How Math Might Complete the Ultimate Physics Theory

By Kevin Hartnett
June 24, 2021
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Even in an incomplete state, quantum field theory is the most successful physical theory ever discovered. Nathan Seiberg, one of its leading architects, talks about the gaps in QFT and how mathematicians could fill them.

Math Meets QFT

The Mystery at the Heart of Physics That Only Math Can Solve

By Kevin Hartnett
June 10, 2021
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The accelerating effort to understand the mathematics of quantum field theory will have profound consequences for both math and physics.


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