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Mathematics

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Number of Distances Separating Points Has a New Bound

April 9, 2024

Mathematicians have struggled to prove Falconer’s Conjecture, a simple, but far-reaching, hypothesis about the distances between points. They’re finally getting close.

Merging Fields, Mathematicians Go the Distance on Old Problem

April 1, 2024

Mathematicians have illuminated what sets of points can look like if the distances between them are all whole numbers.

Topologists Tackle the Trouble With Poll Placement

March 26, 2024

Mathematicians are using topological abstractions to find places where it’s hard to vote.

Math That Connects Where We’re Going to Where We’ve Been

March 22, 2024

Recursion builds bridges between ideas from across different math classes and illustrates the power of creative mathematical thinking.

Michel Talagrand Wins Abel Prize for Work Wrangling Randomness

March 20, 2024

The French mathematician spent decades developing a set of tools now widely used for taming random processes.

Q&A

‘The Rest of the World Disappears’: Claire Voisin on Mathematical Creativity

March 13, 2024

The recipient of the 2024 Crafoord Prize in Mathematics discusses math as art, math as language, and math as abstract thought.

New Breakthrough Brings Matrix Multiplication Closer to Ideal

March 7, 2024

By eliminating a hidden inefficiency, computer scientists have come up with a new way to multiply large matrices that’s faster than ever.

Elliptic Curve ‘Murmurations’ Found With AI Take Flight

March 5, 2024

Mathematicians are working to fully explain unusual behaviors uncovered using artificial intelligence.

‘Entropy Bagels’ and Other Complex Structures Emerge From Simple Rules

February 27, 2024

Simple rules in simple settings continue to puzzle mathematicians, even as they devise intricate tools to analyze them.

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