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After Prime Proof, an Unlikely Star Rises
Two years ago, Yitang Zhang was virtually unknown. Now his surprise solution to a major problem in number theory has catapulted him to mathematical stardom. Where does he go from here?
Mathematicians Chase Moonshine’s Shadow
Researchers are on the trail of a mysterious connection between number theory, algebra and string theory.
Strange Stars Pulse to the Golden Mean
Nature has revealed peculiar mathematical objects that connect order and chaos.
In Fake Universes, Evidence for String Theory
If string theorists can show that their framework is the only consistent theory of quantum gravity, does that make it true even without tangible evidence?
A Proof That Some Spaces Can’t Be Cut
Mathematicians have solved the century-old triangulation conjecture, a major problem in topology that asks whether all spaces can be subdivided into smaller units.
Scientists Conjure Curves From Flatness
Researchers have found a set of rules for imbuing flat surfaces with curvature, enabling them to form a virtually unlimited range of three-dimensional structures.
Prime Gap Grows After Decades-Long Lull
A year after tackling how close together prime number pairs can stay, mathematicians have now made the first major advance in 76 years in understanding how far apart primes can be.
A Common Logic to Seeing Cats and Cosmos
New research suggests physicists, computers and brains employ the same procedure to tease out important features from among other irrelevant bits of data.
At the Far Ends of a New Universal Law
A potent theory has emerged explaining a mysterious statistical law that arises throughout physics and mathematics.