Mathematical physics

By mathematically proving how individual molecules create the complex motion of fluids, three mathematicians have illuminated why time can’t flow in reverse.

Turbulence is a notoriously difficult phenomenon to study. Mathematicians are now starting to untangle it at its smallest scales.

Geometry may have its origins thousands of years ago in ancient land surveying, but it has also had a surprising impact on modern physics. In the latest episode of The Joy of Why, Yang-Hui He explores geometry’s evolution and its future potential through AI.

For decades, extremal black holes were considered mathematically impossible. A new proof reveals otherwise.

How are scientists able to crack fundamental questions about nature and life? How does math make the complex cosmos understandable? In this episode, the physicist Nigel Goldenfeld and co-host Steven Strogatz explore the deep foundations of the scientific process.

By studying the geometry of model space-times, researchers offer alternative views of the universe’s first moments.

Mathematicians prove a theorem that illuminates the geometry of universes with tiny amounts of mass.

A new magnum opus posits the existence of a hidden mathematical link akin to the connection between electricity and magnetism.

Modular forms are one of the most beautiful and mysterious objects in mathematics. What are they?