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The Mysterious Math of Perfection
...famous mathematician drawn into the mystery of perfect numbers, discovered the first odd spoof perfect number, and he challenged mathematicians to find others. In taking up the challenge, mathematicians have...
New Black Hole Math Closes Cosmic Blind Spot
A mathematical shortcut for analyzing black hole collisions works even in cases where it shouldn’t. As astronomers use it to search for new classes of hidden black holes, others wonder:...
Math Can, in Theory, Help You Escape a Hungry Bear
...which led to some unexpected mathematical sleuthing. Before we discuss the solutions, you may have noticed that we did not mention any specific units for distance, time and velocity. The...
Where Transcendental Numbers Hide in Everyday Math
...the ordinary, something that is hidden and mysterious, with almost magical or mystical powers. In mathematics, on the other hand, the meaning of the term “transcendental” is more mundane. It...
2021’s Biggest Breakthroughs in Math and Computer Science
It was a big year. Researchers found a way to idealize deep neural networks using kernel machines—an important step toward opening these black boxes. There were major developments toward an answer about the nature of infinity. And a mathematician finally managed to model quantum gravity.
Play First and Lose: Zugzwang in Chess, Math and Pizzas
...form consists of two players removing bunches of stones from any of several piles until all the stones are removed. In its many variations, Nim has generated several mathematical results...
Steven Strogatz’s Secrets of Math Communication
Steven Strogatz — the acclaimed mathematician and author — hosts the new Quanta Magazine podcast “The Joy of Why.” On March 18, 2022, he joined Quanta editor Thomas Lin for a Simons Foundation Presents conversation about teaching, writing and podcasting.
The Man Who Revolutionized Computer Science With Math
Leslie Lamport talks about the importance of programming instead of coding, how he developed distributed systems and his favorite algorithm.
The Secret Math Behind Mind-Reading Magic Tricks
...de Bruijn sequence of order 4 using 16 cards. This puzzle is one of many mathematics-based card tricks in the book Magical Mathematics: The Mathematical Ideas That Animate Great Magic...