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Mathematics

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Why Claude Shannon Would Have Been Great at Wordle

May 25, 2022

A bit of information theory can help you analyze — and improve — your Wordle game.

How Complex Is a Knot? New Proof Reveals Ranking System That Works.

May 18, 2022

“Ribbon concordance” will let mathematicians compare knots by linking them across four-dimensional space.

Think of a Number. How Do Math Magicians Know What It Is?

May 4, 2022

Mathematical magic can seem like mind reading. Your job is to reveal the secret behind these four tricks.

Mathematicians Coax Fluid Equations Into Nonphysical Solutions

May 2, 2022

The famed Navier-Stokes equations can lead to cases where more than one result is possible, but only in an extremely narrow set of situations.

Elegant Six-Page Proof Reveals the Emergence of Random Structure

April 25, 2022

Two young mathematicians have astonished their colleagues with a full proof of the Kahn-Kalai conjecture — a sweeping statement about how structure emerges in random sets and graphs.

New Proof Illuminates the Hidden Structure of Common Equations

April 21, 2022

Van der Waerden’s conjecture mystified mathematicians for 85 years. Its solution shows how polynomial roots relate to one another.

Deep Learning Poised to ‘Blow Up’ Famed Fluid Equations

April 12, 2022

For centuries, mathematicians have tried to prove that Euler’s fluid equations can produce nonsensical answers. A new approach to machine learning has researchers betting that “blowup” is near.

The Secrets of Zugzwang in Chess, Math and Pizzas

April 8, 2022

Learn the magic and math of how to win games when your opponent goes first.

Untangling Why Knots Are Important

April 6, 2022

Steven Strogatz explores the mysteries of knots with the mathematicians Colin Adams and Lisa Piccirillo.

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