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In a Single Measure, Invariants Capture the Essence of Math Objects
...of many areas of mathematics, extracting essential features of mathematical objects and detecting when two objects are fundamentally different from each other. As the name suggests, an invariant is an...
The Tricky Math of Herd Immunity for COVID-19
Herd immunity differs from place to place, and many factors influence how it’s calculated. While much about the COVID-19 pandemic remains uncertain, we know how it will likely end: when...
James Maynard Solves the Hardest Easy Math Problems
James Maynard talks about why he’s obsessed with prime numbers. Tom Medwell and Jennifer Hsu for Quanta Magazine...
The Math of Social Distancing Is a Lesson in Geometry
...mathematicians, and exciting research is still happening today, particularly in higher dimensions. For example, mathematicians recently proved the best way to pack spheres into 8- and 24-dimensional space — a...
Landmark Math Proof Clears Hurdle in Top Erdős Conjecture
Two mathematicians have proved the first leg of Paul Erdős’ all-time favorite problem about number patterns. A pair of mathematicians has solved the first chunk of one of the most...
Computer Search Settles 90-Year-Old Math Problem
By translating Keller’s conjecture into a computer-friendly search for a type of graph, researchers have finally resolved a problem about covering spaces with tiles. A team of mathematicians has finally...
When Math Gets Impossibly Hard
...and use mathematical reasoning and logic to conclude that some outcome is impossible. No amount of luck, persistence, time or skill will make the task possible. The history of mathematics...
The Extraordinary Math Hidden in Everyday Life
L. Mahadevan describes how he approaches science and where he finds his ideas. Ken Richardson for Quanta Magazine...
2020’s Biggest Breakthroughs in Math and Computer Science
For mathematicians and computer scientists, 2020 was full of discipline-spanning discoveries and celebrations of creativity. Emily Buder/Quanta Magazine; Rui Braz and Christiaan Endeman for Quanta Magazine...