Stories by Manon Bischoff

A search for the most complex elliptic curves has taken mathematicians years. Claude beat the record in days

Moser’s circle problem can be used to divide a pizza into one, two, four, eight, 16 or 31 slices. It’s a perfect example of how the numbers in a sequence aren’t as clear-cut as they may first appear

After an OpenAI model presented a possible solution to the Navier-Stokes problem, mathematicians are speculating about which major unsolved question could be resolved next

The five Platonic solids are the epitome of perfection—at least in mathematics. Topology explains why there are only five of them

Some voting districts are tilted intentionally toward one party or another—a factor in the midterms. Geometry plays a critical role in gerrymandering

How many times do you have to fold a piece of paper to make a doughnut? After decades, a mathematician has determined the most efficient technique

A technique that manipulates the video game's random number generator makes rare Pokemón appear, showing how it's not so random after all

Cryptographers use points along a curve to build tough codes

Mathematician Yang-Hui He explains why artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming mathematical work—and why that’s a good thing

Wormholes are one way that physicists have imagined traveling into the past. But if something gets there, is it physically possible to change anything?

Physicists, mathematicians and philosophers have been exploring the possibility of going forward to the future or back to the past

In an episode of the cartoon, a machine lets characters swap bodies, but they can’t switch back with the same person. Math helps all the characters return to their original bodies

During World War II, statistics helped the Allies estimate the number of enemy tanks, which proved essential in the decisive move against Nazi Germany

Here’s how Emmy Noether’s theorem uses the Lagrangian to provide a formula for calculating the quantity of symmetries in a system—like the orbit of planets

Noether's work helped prove the conservation of energy in physics, a key foundation for Einstein's theory of relativity

The quest to approximate irrational numbers with fractions reveals hidden patterns, surprising hierarchies and enduring mathematical mysteries

Why the human brain can't fathom what it means to be a trillionaire

Some mathematicians have predicted when humanity’s downfall might occur—though the circumstances are unspecified

Mathematicians have considered how to watch every corner of a space—but soccer adds moving players, blocked views and constant action

An idea from topology explains why you can never get rid of your cowlicks—and, oddly enough, it’s critical in nuclear fusion

From slow elevators to perfectly split pizza, math quietly explains the quirks of everyday life

By encoding mathematical statements into numbers, mathematician Kurt Gödel used ordinary arithmetic to check whether a statement can be proved

A statement can be true or false. But as Kurt Gödel demonstrated, there will always be mathematical assumptions that can neither be proven nor disproven

A battle between “slimes” and “zoglins” could be the best way to calculate pi—at least for fans of this megahit game