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The Elusive Calculus of Insects’ Altruism and Kin Selection
...of biology and mathematics at Harvard University. Nowak doesn’t just disagree about whether kin selection and multilevel selection are equivalent; he says that the broad mathematical strokes of using Hamilton’s...
The Infinite Primes and Museum Guard Proofs, Explained
...the most beautiful and elegant proofs in mathematics. The collection was inspired by the legendary mathematician Paul Erdős, who envisioned an infinite book in which God had written the perfect...
Günter Ziegler Seeks God’s Perfect Math Proofs
Günter Ziegler describes one of the most famous and beautiful proofs in Proofs From THE BOOK, a book he co-authored with Martin Aigner. Aubrey Wade for Quanta Magazine...
How Einstein Lost His Bearings, and With Them, General Relativity
By 1913, Albert Einstein had nearly completed general relativity. But a simple mistake set him on a tortured, two-year reconsideration of his theory. Today, mathematicians still grapple with the issues...
How Math (and Vaccines) Keep You Safe From the Flu
...be a matter of life or death. The mathematics underlying vaccinations and herd immunity is important, so tell a friend. Better yet, tell two. Download the “Math of Herd Immunity”...
Simpler Math Tames the Complexity of Microbe Networks
The dizzying network of interactions within microbe communities can defy analysis. But a new approach that simplifies the math might make progress possible. Over the past century, scientists have become...
In Praise of Simple Problems
The mathematician Richard Schwartz finds the hidden depth lurking in simple mathematical puzzles. Most of the important discoveries in mathematics take place after decades or centuries of effort. If you...
Physicists Aim to Classify All Possible Phases of Matter
...by quantum field theories — mathematical descriptions that treat the particles’ environments as smooth. “These tensor categories are conjectured to cover all 2-D phases, but there is no mathematical proof...
Quanta’s Science and Math Crossword Puzzle
This holiday season, catch up on science and math news while solving our year-end crossword. There is no new Insights puzzle this month, but I come bearing a holiday gift...