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Kevin Hartnett

Kevin Hartnett

Contributing Writer

Twitter

Latest Articles

Illustration of lock with polynomials surrounding it
Abstractions blog

Mathematicians Seal Back Door to Breaking RSA Encryption

By Kevin Hartnett
December 17, 2018
Comment
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Digital security depends on the difficulty of factoring large numbers. A new proof shows why one method for breaking digital encryption won’t work.

Art for "In the Universe of Equations, Virtually All Are Prime"
number theory

In the Universe of Equations, Virtually All Are Prime

By Kevin Hartnett
December 10, 2018
Comment
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Equations, like numbers, cannot always be split into simpler elements.

Art for "With Ruler and Compass, Amateur Mathematician Tames Fiendish Problem"
geometry

Amateur Mathematician Finds Smallest Universal Cover

By Kevin Hartnett
November 15, 2018
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Through exacting geometric calculations, Philip Gibbs has found the smallest known cover for any possible shape.

Abstractions blog

New Proof Shows Infinite Curves Come in Two Types

By Kevin Hartnett
November 7, 2018
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Alexander Smith’s work on the Goldfeld conjecture reveals fundamental characteristics of elliptic curves.

number theory

Without a Proof, Mathematicians Wonder How Much Evidence Is Enough

By Kevin Hartnett
October 31, 2018
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A new statistical model appears to undermine long-held assumptions in number theory. How much should it be trusted when all that really matters is proof?

Art for "A Proof About Where Symmetries Can’t Exist"
geometry

A Proof About Where Symmetries Can’t Exist

By Kevin Hartnett
October 23, 2018
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In a major mathematical achievement, a small team of researchers has proven Zimmer’s conjecture.

Art for "Machine Learning Confronts the Elephant in the Room"
artificial intelligence

Machine Learning Confronts the Elephant in the Room

By Kevin Hartnett
September 20, 2018
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A visual prank exposes an Achilles’ heel of computer vision systems: Unlike humans, they can’t do a double take.

Art for "Why Mathematicians Can’t Find the Hay in a Haystack"
Abstractions blog

Why Mathematicians Can’t Find the Hay in a Haystack

By Kevin Hartnett
September 17, 2018
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In math, sometimes the most common things are the hardest to find.

Illustration of a complex shape casting a shadow
geometry

Tinkertoy Models Produce New Geometric Insights

By Kevin Hartnett
September 5, 2018
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An upstart field that simplifies complex shapes is letting mathematicians understand how those shapes depend on the space in which you visualize them.


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