We care about your data, and we'd like to use cookies to give you a smooth browsing experience. Please agree and read more about our privacy policy.
Quanta Homepage
  • Physics
  • Mathematics
  • Biology
  • Computer Science
  • Topics
  • Archive

What's up in

number theory

Latest Articles

Minhyong Kim in front of a whiteboard
number theory

Secret Link Uncovered Between Pure Math and Physics

By Kevin Hartnett
December 1, 2017
Comment
Read Later

An eminent mathematician reveals that his advances in the study of millennia-old mathematical questions owe to concepts derived from physics.

Pariah moonshine
number theory

Mathematicians Find Moonshine Link for Pariah Symmetries

By Erica Klarreich
September 22, 2017
Comment
Read Later

A type of symmetry so unusual that it was called a “pariah” turns out to have deep connections to number theory.

Kaisa Matomäki
Q&A

Kaisa Matomäki Dreams of Primes

By Kevin Hartnett
July 20, 2017
Comment
Read Later

Kaisa Matomäki has proved that properties of prime numbers over long intervals hold over short intervals as well. The techniques she uses have transformed the study of these elusive numbers.

Yitang Zhang
Thinking Places

Yitang Zhang’s Santa Barbara Beach Walk

By Thomas Lin +2 authors
Olena Shmahalo
Lucy Reading-Ikkanda
June 15, 2017
Comment
Read Later

An obscure number theorist who became an overnight sensation with a major proof about the gaps between prime numbers now finds quiet inspiration walking along the Pacific Coast.

Abstractions blog

The Almost-Proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem

By Kevin Hartnett
March 3, 2017
Comment
Read Later

19th-century mathematicians thought the “roots of unity” were the key to solving Fermat’s Last Theorem. Then they discovered a fatal flaw.

Colorful illustration of 5 plants with their roots exposed. Each plant forms the shape of a number,
number theory

New Number Systems Seek Their Lost Primes

By Kevin Hartnett
March 2, 2017
Comment
Read Later

For centuries, mathematicians tried to solve problems by adding new values to the usual numbers. Now they’re investigating the unintended consequences of that tinkering.

Abstractions blog

Handicapping the 2018 Fields Medal

By Jeanette Kazmierczak
June 28, 2016
Comment
Read Later

Peter Scholze is a favorite to win one of the highest honors in mathematics for his contributions in number theory and geometry.

profiles

The Oracle of Arithmetic

By Erica Klarreich
June 28, 2016
Comment
Read Later

At 28, Peter Scholze is uncovering deep connections between number theory and geometry.

The mathematician Ken Ono in his office at Emory University in Atlanta.
Q&A

A Life Inspired by an Unexpected Genius

By John Pavlus
May 19, 2016
Comment
Read Later

Greatness was always expected of Ken Ono. But as he struggled with his parents’ expectations, he found solace and inspiration in the life of two-time college dropout — and mathematical genius — Srinivasa Ramanujan, the subject of the film The Man Who Knew Infinity.


Previous
  • 1
  • ...
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
Next
The Quanta Newsletter

Get highlights of the most important news delivered to your email inbox

Recent newsletters
Quanta Homepage
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Instagram

  • About Quanta
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Simons Foundation
All Rights Reserved © 2023