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Rainbow Proof Shows Graphs Have Uniform Parts
Mathematicians have proved that copies of smaller graphs can always be used to perfectly cover larger ones.
Corina Tarnita and the Deep Mathematics of Social Insects
The mathematical biologist Corina Tarnita explains to host Steven Strogatz how quantitative modeling solved the mystery of fairy circles.
The Map of Mathematics
Explore our surprisingly simple, absurdly ambitious and necessarily incomplete guide to the boundless mathematical universe.
Color-Changing Material Unites the Math and Physics of Knots
Mathematicians have studied knots for centuries, but a new material is showing why some knots are better than others.
Mathematicians Prove Universal Law of Turbulence
By exploiting randomness, three mathematicians have proved an elegant law that underlies the chaotic motion of turbulent systems.
Alex Kontorovich on the Absolute Truth of Pure Math
The mathematician Alex Kontorovich speaks with host Steven Strogatz about regaining his creative freedom in an intimidating collaboration and about the pleasures of spherical geometry.
Secrets of Math From the Bee Whisperer
As Scarlett Howard taught honeybees to do arithmetic, they showed her how fundamental numbers might be to all brains.
How Pi Connects Colliding Blocks to a Quantum Search Algorithm
A curious physicist has discovered an unexpected link between theoretical block collisions and a famed quantum search algorithm.
Solution: ‘Natural Law and Elegant Math’
While mathematics gives us elegant explanations for many physical phenomena, real-world situations often require us to scramble through dense numerical thickets.