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A Mathematician Dancing Between Algebra and Geometry
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
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
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.
Lattice cryptography promises to protect secrets from the attacks of far-future quantum computers.
A Mathematician Who Fled to Freedom but Still Stares Down Doubts
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.
Why Mathematicians Study Knots
Far from being an abstract mathematical curiosity, knot theory has driven many findings in math and beyond.
How to Win at Wordle (Without Cheating)
Solve these puzzle questions to level up your Wordle game.
Mathematicians Discover the Fibonacci Numbers Hiding in Strange Spaces
Recent explorations of unique geometric worlds reveal perplexing patterns, including the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio.
Teenager Solves Stubborn Riddle About Prime Number Look-Alikes
In his senior year of high school, Daniel Larsen proved a key theorem about Carmichael numbers — strange entities that mimic the primes.