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Searching the Sky for the Wobbles of Gravity
The physicist Gabriela González is on the cusp of finding the first direct evidence of gravitational waves — soundlike wobbles in space-time produced by black holes and their kin.
Theorists Draw Closer to Perfect Coloring
A theorem for coloring a large class of “perfect” mathematical networks could ease the way for a long-sought general coloring proof.
Networks Untangle Malaria’s Deadly Shuffle
By examining regions shared between some of nature's most variable genes, malaria researchers are piecing together an understanding of a deadly parasite.
A Twisted Path to Equation-Free Prediction
Complex natural systems defy analysis using a standard mathematical toolkit, so one ecologist is throwing out the equations.
How to Create Art With Mathematics
Can you generate aesthetically pleasing, symmetrical curves with two numbers and a simple mathematical function?
The Mutant Genes Behind the Black Death
Only a few genetic changes were enough to change an ordinary stomach bug into the bacteria responsible for the plague.
A Magical Answer to an 80-Year-Old Puzzle
Using crowd-sourced and traditional mathematics research, Terence Tao has devised a solution to a long-standing problem posed by the legendary Paul Erdős.
A New Map Traces the Limits of Computation
A major advance in computational complexity reveals deep connections between the classes of problems that computers can — and can’t — possibly do.
Solution: ‘The Road Less Traveled’
The solution to this month’s puzzle uses both mathematics and psychology to explain trouble with choosing the fastest route.