We care about your data, and we'd like to use cookies to give you a smooth browsing experience. Please agree and read more about our privacy policy.
Quanta Homepage
  • Physics
  • Mathematics
  • Biology
  • Computer Science
  • Topics
  • Archive

What's up in

Mathematics

Latest Articles

Abel Prize

Pioneers Linking Math and Computer Science Win the Abel Prize

By Kevin Hartnett
March 17, 2021
Comment
Read Later

Avi Wigderson and László Lovász won for their work developing complexity theory and graph theory, respectively, and for connecting the two fields.

Quantized Academy

The Mysterious Math of Perfection

By Patrick Honner
March 15, 2021
Comment
Read Later

Enter the world of perfect numbers and explore the mystery mathematicians have spent thousands of years trying to solve.

algorithms

New Algorithm Breaks Speed Limit for Solving Linear Equations

By Kevin Hartnett
March 8, 2021
Comment
Read Later

By harnessing randomness, a new algorithm achieves a fundamentally novel — and faster — way of performing one of the most basic computations in math and computer science.

Quantized Columns

Isadore Singer Transcended Mathematical Boundaries

By Daniel S. Freed
March 4, 2021
Comment
Read Later

A former graduate student reflects on how Isadore Singer, who died on February 11, brought together mathematicians, physicists and anyone else interested in the deeper connections between diverse fields.

A house of cards propped up by a letter i, the unit of imaginary numbers.
quantum physics

Imaginary Numbers May Be Essential for Describing Reality

By Charlie Wood
March 3, 2021
Comment
Read Later

A new thought experiment indicates that quantum mechanics doesn’t work without strange numbers that turn negative when squared.

An illustration showing Steven Strogatz at a microphone, surrounded by a swirl of icons representing different subjects.
The Joy of x

New Season of The Joy of x Podcast Explores Scientists’ Inner Lives

By Ellen Horne
March 2, 2021
Comment
Read Later

In a second season of enlightened conversations, Steven Strogatz and leading researchers nourish our pandemic-starved minds.

geometry

Statistics Postdoc Tames Decades-Old Geometry Problem

By Erica Klarreich
March 1, 2021
Comment
Read Later

To the surprise of experts in the field, a postdoctoral statistician has solved one of the most important problems in high-dimensional convex geometry.

An illustration of a doughnut-shaped elliptic curve intertwined with the Julia set.
number theory

Mathematicians Set Numbers in Motion to Unlock Their Secrets

By Kelsey Houston-Edwards
February 22, 2021
Comment
Read Later

A new proof demonstrates the power of arithmetic dynamics, an emerging discipline that combines insights from number theory and dynamical systems.

Po-Shen Loh standing on a stairway in front of a colored wall outside of his office in Pittsburgh.
Q&A

The Coach Who Led the U.S. Math Team Back to the Top

By Max G. Levy
February 16, 2021
Comment
Read Later

Po-Shen Loh has harnessed his competitive impulses and iconoclastic tendencies to reinvigorate the U.S. Math Olympiad program.


Previous
  • 1
  • ...
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • ...
  • 49
Next
The Quanta Newsletter

Get highlights of the most important news delivered to your email inbox

Recent newsletters
Quanta Homepage
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Instagram

  • About Quanta
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Simons Foundation
All Rights Reserved © 2023