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Mathematics

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Mathematicians Complete Quest to Build ‘Spherical Cubes’

February 10, 2023

Is it possible to fill space “cubically” with shapes that act like spheres? A proof at the intersection of geometry and theoretical computer science says yes.

The Joy of Asking About Infinity, Jellyfish and the End of the Universe

February 9, 2023

As The Joy of Why podcast returns for a second season, producer Polly Stryker and host Steven Strogatz invite listeners to join them and their brilliant new guests on another voyage of discovery.

Mathematicians Eliminate Long-Standing Threat to Knot Conjecture

February 2, 2023

A new proof shows that a knot some thought would contradict the famed slice-ribbon conjecture doesn’t.

Mathematicians Find an Infinity of Possible Black Hole Shapes

January 24, 2023

In three-dimensional space, the surface of a black hole must be a sphere. But a new result shows that in higher dimensions, an infinite number of configurations are possible.

The Basic Algebra Behind Secret Codes and Space Communication

January 23, 2023

Whether you’re passing secret notes in class or downloading images from a space probe, Reed-Solomon codes offer an ingenious way to embed information and correct for errors.

Mathematicians Roll Dice and Get Rock-Paper-Scissors

January 19, 2023

Mathematicians have uncovered a surprising wealth of rock-paper-scissors-like patterns in randomly chosen dice.

Finally, a Fast Algorithm for Shortest Paths on Negative Graphs

January 18, 2023

Researchers can now find the shortest route through a network nearly as fast as theoretically possible, even when some steps can cancel out others.

Probability and Number Theory Collide — in a Moment

January 12, 2023

Mathematicians are taking ideas developed to study random numbers and applying them to a broad range of categories.

Google Researcher, Long Out of Math, Cracks Devilish Problem About Sets

January 3, 2023

On nights and weekends, Justin Gilmer attacked an old question in pure math using the tools of information theory.

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