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Mathematics

Latest Articles

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How Simple Math Moves the Needle

By Patrick Honner
September 29, 2023
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The spatial intuition behind a three-point turn offers an on-ramp to a century-old geometry problem.

geometry

Mathematicians Cross the Line to Get to the Point

By Leila Sloman
September 25, 2023
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A new paper establishes a long-conjectured bound about the size of the overlap between sets of lines and points.

number theory

Behold Modular Forms, the ‘Fifth Fundamental Operation’ of Math

By Jordana Cepelewicz
September 21, 2023
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Modular forms are one of the most beautiful and mysterious objects in mathematics. What are they?

geometry

A Tower of Conjectures That Rests Upon a Needle

By Jordana Cepelewicz
September 12, 2023
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On its surface, the Kakeya conjecture is a simple statement about rotating needles. But it underlies a wealth of mathematics.

geometry

The Biggest Smallest Triangle Just Got Smaller

By Leila Sloman
September 8, 2023
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A new proof breaks a decades-long drought of progress on the problem of estimating the size of triangles created by cramming points into a square.

Q&A

Why Mathematical Proof Is a Social Compact

By Jordana Cepelewicz
August 31, 2023
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Number theorist Andrew Granville on what mathematics really is — and why objectivity is never quite within reach.

topology

An Old Conjecture Falls, Making Spheres a Lot More Complicated

By Kevin Hartnett
August 22, 2023
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The telescope conjecture gave mathematicians a handle on ways to map one sphere to another. Now that it has been disproved, the universe of shapes has exploded.

mathematical physics

Math Proof Draws New Boundaries Around Black Hole Formation

By Steve Nadis
August 16, 2023
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For a half century, mathematicians have tried to define the exact circumstances under which a black hole is destined to exist. A new proof shows how a cube can help answer the question.

A colorful picture of nested circles.
number theory

Two Students Unravel a Widely Believed Math Conjecture

By Max G. Levy
August 10, 2023
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Mathematicians thought they were on the cusp of proving a conjecture about the ancient structures known as Apollonian circles. But a summer project would lead to its downfall.


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