The Mathematics of (Hacking) Passwords
The science and art of password setting and cracking continues to evolve, as does the war between password users and abusers
Math976 articles archived since 1845
Proof Without Words
The sum of squares
How Calculus Was the Unsung Hero in the Fight against HIV
The story of a differential equation and a medical breakthrough
Found: A Quadrillion Ways for String Theory to Make Our Universe
Stemming from the “F-theory” branch of string theory, each solution replicates key features of the standard model of particle physics
The "Fantastic" Feeling of a Breakthrough: Q&A with Math Prize Winner Karen Uhlenbeck
The first female winner of the prestigious Abel Prize shares details of life as a mathematician
Soap-Bubble Pioneer Is First Woman to Win Prestigious Math Prize
Abel-prize winner Karen Keskulla Uhlenbeck built bridges between analysis, geometry and physics
Chemical π
Using the periodic table to memorize that celebrated number
Busting Earth-Bound Asteroids a Bigger Job Than We Thought
A new model suggests smashing killer space rocks with insufficient force could let gravity pull the pieces back together. Christopher Intagliata reports.
The Entertainer
In praise of Raymond Smullyan: logician, magician, mathematician, puzzlist and philosopher
How Many Manatees Are There? There's an Algorithm for That
Biologists and computers scientists team up to create a census of animal populations
Loopy Particle Math
Scientists are creating mathematical tools to identify novel particles and phenomena at the world's largest particle accelerator
A Network Theorist Seeks "Universal Laws" of Success
A scientist leverages big data to pin down precepts that extend beyond the self-help aisle
A Math Function Describes How Whole Societies Remember--and Forget
A Neruda masterpiece—and a bi-exponential curve—define the dynamics of the fast then slow fade of our greatest collective sorrows and joys
Data Reveals Most Influential Movies
By analyzing the network connections between 47,000 films on IMDb, researchers found the most influential films ever made. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Unraveling the Mathematics of Smell
Scientists have created a “map” of odor molecules, which could ultimately be used to predict new scent combinations
Proofs and Guarantees
We can prove things in math, but does that mean they’re true?
Geometry versus Gerrymandering
Mathematicians are developing statistical forensics to identify districts that disenfranchise voters
Do the Golden State Warriors Have Hot Hands?
Scoring streaks have long fascinated sports professionals and researchers, yet they are not close to consensus on the right way to think about the issue
The Unsolvable Problem
After a years-long intellectual journey, three mathematicians have discovered that a problem of central importance in physics is impossible to solve—and that means other big questions may be undecidable, too...
