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Mathematics

Latest Articles

A New Map Traces the Limits of Computation

September 29, 2015

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

Solution: ‘The Road Less Traveled’

September 25, 2015

The solution to this month’s puzzle uses both mathematics and psychology to explain trouble with choosing the fastest route.

A Tricky Path to Quantum-Safe Encryption

September 8, 2015

In the drive to safeguard data from future quantum computers, cryptographers have stumbled upon a thin red line between security and efficiency.

The Road Less Traveled

September 3, 2015

When there are two paths to your destination, why does it always seem like you’re on the road with more traffic?

A New Design for Cryptography’s Black Box

September 2, 2015

A recent cryptographic breakthrough has proven difficult to put into practice. But new advances show how near-perfect computer security might be surprisingly close at hand.

A Life in Games

August 28, 2015

The mathematician John Horton Conway’s myriad accomplishments — including the Game of Life, sprouts and the surreal numbers — are the product of a mind at play.

Solution: ‘The Slippery Eel of Probability’

August 14, 2015

The solution to this month’s puzzle examines the use of abstract probabilities as an antidote to real-world ignorance.

Q&A

The Connoisseur of Number Sequences

August 6, 2015

For more than 50 years, the mathematician Neil Sloane has curated the authoritative collection of interesting and important integer sequences.

The Slippery Eel of Probability

July 30, 2015

How do you solve probability problems that appear to have more than one correct answer?

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