Number theory

Mathematicians and computer scientists answered major questions in topology, set theory and even physics, even as computers continued to grow more capable.

The Chinese remainder theorem is an ancient and powerful extension of the simple math of least common multiples.

Ana Caraiani seeks to unify mathematics through her work on the ambitious Langlands program.

New work establishes a tighter connection between the rank of a polynomial and the extent to which it favors particular outputs.

Legend says the Chinese military once used a mathematical ruse to conceal its troop numbers. The technique relates to many deep areas of modern math research.

Using high school algebra and geometry, and knowing just one rational point on a circle or elliptic curve, we can locate infinitely many others.

Laurent Fargues and Peter Scholze have found a new, more powerful way of connecting number theory and geometry as part of the sweeping Langlands program.

Jordan Ellenberg enjoys studying — and writing about — the mathematics underlying everyday phenomena.

Hilbert’s 12th problem asked for novel analogues of the roots of unity, the building blocks for certain number systems. Now, over 100 years later, two mathematicians have produced them.