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Applied math

Latest Articles

When Data Is Missing, Scientists Guess. Then Guess Again.

October 2, 2024

Across the social and biological sciences, statisticians use a technique that leverages randomness to deal with the unknown.

Geometers Engineer New Tools to Wrangle Spacecraft Orbits

April 15, 2024

Mathematicians think abstract tools from a field called symplectic geometry might help with planning missions to far-off moons and planets.

Topologists Tackle the Trouble With Poll Placement

March 26, 2024

Mathematicians are using topological abstractions to find places where it’s hard to vote.

The Year in Math

December 22, 2023

Landmark results in Ramsey theory and a remarkably simple aperiodic tile capped a year of mathematical delight and discovery.

How Math Has Changed the Shape of Gerrymandering

June 1, 2023

New tools make it possible to detect hidden manipulation of maps.

New Proof Finds the ‘Ultimate Instability’ in a Solar System Model

May 16, 2023

For the first time, mathematicians have proved that planetary orbits in a solar system will always be unstable.

Q&A

An Applied Mathematician With an Unexpected Toolbox

March 1, 2023

Lek-Heng Lim uses tools from algebra, geometry and topology to answer questions in machine learning.

The New Math of Wrinkling

September 22, 2022

A comprehensive mathematical framework treats wrinkling patterns as elegant solutions to geometric problems.

Surprising Limits Discovered in Quest for Optimal Solutions

November 1, 2021

Algorithms that zero in on solutions to optimization problems are the beating heart of machine reasoning. New results reveal surprising limits.

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