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In a Single Measure, Invariants Capture the Essence of Math Objects
To distinguish between fundamentally different objects, mathematicians turn to invariants that encode the objects’ essential features.
In Mathematics, It Often Takes a Good Map to Find Answers
Mathematicians try to figure out when problems can be solved using current knowledge — and when they have to chart a new path instead.
What Other Coronaviruses Tell Us About SARS-CoV-2
As COVID-19 cases continue to increase, our extensive knowledge of other coronaviruses informs our understanding.
Why Are Black Holes So Bright?
And why is the black hole at the center of our own galaxy so dim?
The Animal Origins of Coronavirus and Flu
Zoonotic diseases like influenza and many coronaviruses start out in animals, but their biological machinery often enables them to jump to humans.
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.
Why the Laws of Physics Are Inevitable
By considering simple symmetries, physicists working on the “bootstrap” can rediscover the basic form of the known forces that shape the universe.
Quantum Supremacy Is Coming: Here’s What You Should Know
Researchers are getting close to building a quantum computer that can perform tasks a classical computer can’t. Here’s what the milestone will mean.
How (Relatively) Simple Symmetries Underlie Our Expanding Universe
Although Einstein’s theory of space-time seems more complicated than Newtonian physics, it greatly simplified the mathematical description of the universe.