What's up in

Mathematics

Latest Articles

From Systems in Motion, Infinite Patterns Appear

December 5, 2022

Mathematicians are finding inevitable structures in sufficiently large sets of integers.

The Math Behind Wordle Guesses

December 2, 2022

Wordle is a word game. But you can use math to optimize your chances of winning (without cheating).

Mathematical Trio Advances Centuries-Old Number Theory Problem

November 29, 2022

The work — the first-ever limit on how many whole numbers can be written as the sum of two cubed fractions — makes significant headway on “a recurring embarrassment for number theorists.”

AI Reveals New Possibilities in Matrix Multiplication

November 23, 2022

Inspired by the results of a game-playing neural network, mathematicians have been making unexpected advances on an age-old math problem.

Q&A

A Mathematician Dancing Between Algebra and Geometry

November 22, 2022

Wei Ho, the first director of the Women and Mathematics program at the Institute for Advanced Study, combines algebra and geometry in her work on an ancient class of curves.

The Simple Geometry Behind Brownie Bake Offs and Equal Areas

November 21, 2022

Proving that two polygons have the same area can be as easy as cutting them up and rearranging the pieces.

Computer Proof ‘Blows Up’ Centuries-Old Fluid Equations

November 16, 2022

For more than 250 years, mathematicians have wondered if the Euler equations might sometimes fail to describe a fluid’s flow. A new computer-assisted proof marks a major breakthrough in that quest.

Cryptography’s Future Will Be Quantum-Safe. Here’s How It Will Work.

November 9, 2022

Lattice cryptography promises to protect secrets from the attacks of far-future quantum computers.

Q&A

A Mathematician Who Fled to Freedom but Still Stares Down Doubts

November 1, 2022

Svetlana Jitomirskaya was born in Ukraine, but left the Soviet Union to escape sexism and antisemitism. Even though her work in mathematical physics has now been honored with one of the field’s top prizes, she finds herself still fighting old battles.

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