2018 Fields Medal and Nevanlinna Prize
Latest Articles
Carlo Rovelli’s Radical Perspective on Reality
The theoretical physicist and best-selling author finds inspiration in politics and philosophy for rethinking space and time.
Shark Data Suggests Animals Scale Like Geometric Objects
Despite their wide variety of sizes, niches and shapes, sharks scale geometrically, pointing to possible fundamental constraints on evolution.
First Shape Found That Can’t Pass Through Itself
After more than three centuries, a geometry problem that originated with a royal bet has been solved.
The Game Theory of How Algorithms Can Drive Up Prices
Recent findings reveal that even simple pricing algorithms can make things more expensive.
How Soon Will the Seas Rise?
The uniquely vulnerable West Antarctic Ice Sheet holds enough water to raise global sea levels by 5 meters. But when that will happen — and how fast — is anything but settled.
How the Brain Moves From Waking Life to Sleep (and Back Again)
Neuroscientists probing the boundary between sleep and awareness are finding many types of liminal states, which help explain the sleep disorders that can result when sleep transitions go wrong.
The Hidden Math of Ocean Waves Crashes Into View
The math of even the simplest ocean waves is notoriously uncooperative. A team of Italian mathematicians has made major advances toward understanding it.
Researchers Discover the Optimal Way To Optimize
The leading approach to the simplex method, a widely used technique for balancing complex logistical constraints, can’t get any better.
Genes Have Harnessed Physics to Help Grow Living Things
The same pulling force that causes “tears” in a glass of wine also shapes embryos. It’s another example of how genes exploit mechanical forces for growth and development.