Games

The central limit theorem started as a bar trick for 18th-century gamblers. Now scientists rely on it every day.

In cellular automata, simple rules create elaborate structures. Now researchers can start with the structures and reverse-engineer the rules.

The quest to find the longest-running simple computer program has identified a new champion. It’s physically impossible to write out the numbers involved using standard mathematical notation.

Researchers got a better look at the thoughts of chatbots, amateurs learned exactly how complicated simple systems can be, and quantum computers passed an essential milestone.

After decades of uncertainty, a motley team of programmers has proved precisely how complicated simple computer programs can get.

Researchers are drawing on ideas from game theory to improve large language models and make them more consistent.

If Anna beats Benji in a game and Benji beats Carl, will Anna beat Carl?

John Conway’s Game of Life, a famous cellular automaton, has been found to have periodic patterns of every possible length.

By bringing together disparate approaches, machines can reach a new level of creative problem-solving.