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

computational complexity

Latest Articles

Illustration for "Finally, A Problem That Only Quantum Computers Will Ever Be Able to Solve"
computational complexity

Finally, a Problem That Only Quantum Computers Will Ever Be Able to Solve

By Kevin Hartnett
June 21, 2018
Comment
Read Later

Computer scientists have been searching for years for a type of problem that a quantum computer can solve but that any possible future classical computer cannot. Now they’ve found one.

Lede art for "First Big Steps Toward Proving the Unique Games Conjecture"
computational complexity

First Big Steps Toward Proving the Unique Games Conjecture

By Erica Klarreich
April 24, 2018
Comment
Read Later

The latest in a new series of proofs brings theoretical computer scientists within striking distance of one of the great conjectures of their discipline.

Abstractions blog

One-Way Salesman Finds Fast Path Home

By Mark Kim-Mulgrew
October 5, 2017
Comment
Read Later

The real-world version of the famous “traveling salesman problem” finally gets a good-enough solution.

Subhash Khot
Thinking Places

Subhash Khot, Playing Unique Games in Washington Square Park

By Thomas Lin +2 authors
Olena Shmahalo
Lucy Reading-Ikkanda
July 10, 2017
Comment
Read Later

The theoretical computer scientist behind the influential Unique Games Conjecture delights in the wonders of New York’s Washington Square Park, where he ponders the impossible.

Illustration: boxing gloves
Abstractions blog

Graph Isomorphism Vanquished — Again

By Erica Klarreich
January 14, 2017
Comment
Read Later

Just five days after posting a retraction, László Babai announced that he had fixed the error in his landmark graph isomorphism algorithm.

Illustration: boxing glove & graph
Abstractions blog

Complexity Theory Problem Strikes Back

By Erica Klarreich
January 5, 2017
Comment
Read Later

The legendary graph isomorphism problem may be harder than a 2015 result seemed to suggest.

Computer Science

Landmark Algorithm Breaks 30-Year Impasse

By Erica Klarreich
December 14, 2015
Comment
Read Later

Computer scientists are abuzz over a fast new algorithm for solving one of the central problems in the field.

Mathematics

Theorists Draw Closer to Perfect Coloring

By Natalie Wolchover
October 20, 2015
Comment
Read Later

A theorem for coloring a large class of “perfect” mathematical networks could ease the way for a long-sought general coloring proof.

Computer Science

A New Map Traces the Limits of Computation

By John Pavlus
September 29, 2015
Comment
Read Later

A major advance in computational complexity reveals deep connections between the classes of problems that computers can — and can’t — possibly do.


Previous
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
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