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Where Proof, Evidence and Imagination Intersect
In mathematics, where proofs are everything, evidence is important too. But evidence is only as good as the model, and modeling can be dangerous business. So how much evidence is enough?
Unscrambling the Hidden Secrets of Superpermutations
A science fiction novelist and an internet commenter made breakthroughs on a longstanding problem about the number of ways you can arrange a set of items. What did they discover?
The (Imaginary) Numbers at the Edge of Reality
Odd enough to potentially model the strangeness of the physical world, complex numbers with “imaginary” components are rooted in the familiar.
How Network Math Can Help You Make Friends
Studying the structure of existing friendships in your community can help you forge the best connections when forming a new circle of friends.
Four Is Not Enough
How many colors do you need to color an infinite plane so that no points 1 unit apart are the same color?
Why Winning in Rock-Paper-Scissors (and in Life) Isn’t Everything
What does John Nash’s game theory equilibrium concept look like in Rock-Paper-Scissors?
How Math (and Vaccines) Keep You Safe From the Flu
Simple math shows how widespread vaccination can disrupt the exponential spread of disease and prevent epidemics.
The (Math) Problem With Pentagons
Triangles fit effortlessly together, as do squares. When it comes to pentagons, what gives?
The Math Behind Gerrymandering and Wasted Votes
Simple math can help scheming politicians manipulate district maps and cruise to victory. But it can also help identify and fix the problem.