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The (Often) Overlooked Experiment That Revealed the Quantum World

December 5, 2023

A century ago, the Stern-Gerlach experiment established the truth of quantum mechanics. Now it’s being used to probe the clash of quantum theory and gravity.

How Math Achieved Transcendence

June 27, 2023

Transcendental numbers include famous examples like e and π, but it took mathematicians centuries to understand them.

Q&A

A Plan to Address the World’s Challenges With Math

May 11, 2023

Minhyong Kim is leading a new initiative called Mathematics for Humanity that encourages mathematicians to apply their skills to solving social problems.

The Colorful Problem That Has Long Frustrated Mathematicians

March 29, 2023

The four-color problem is simple to explain, but its complex proof continues to be both celebrated and despised.

How to Think About Relativity

November 14, 2022

Albert Einstein’s ideas about space-time aren’t exactly intuitive, and they aren’t exactly Einstein’s, either.

Why Mathematicians Study Knots

October 31, 2022

Far from being an abstract mathematical curiosity, knot theory has driven many findings in math and beyond.

How Isaac Newton Discovered the Binomial Power Series

August 31, 2022

Rethinking questions and chasing patterns led Newton to find the connection between curves and infinite sums.

The Sordid Past of the Cubic Formula

June 30, 2022

The quest to solve cubic equations led to duels, betrayals — and modern mathematics.

How We Can Make Sense of Chaos

March 2, 2022

Dynamical systems can be chaotic and impossible to predict, but mathematicians have discovered tools to help understand them.

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