Proofs and Guarantees
We can prove things in math, but does that mean they’re true?
Math962 articles archived since 1845
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
Burning Man's Mathematical Underbelly
It’s mostly an art festival, but attendees are impressively fascinated with science and math
Katherine Johnson, Trailblazing NASA Mathematician, Celebrates 100 Trips around the Sun
The pioneering mathematician overcame barriers of racism and misogyny to help develop U.S. human spaceflight
Gallery: Beautiful Works of Art Are Generated by Austere Mathematical Rules
Images and sculptures inspired by mathematical principles show off the intense beauty of the discipline
Number-Theory Prodigy among Winners of Most Coveted Prize in Mathematics
The Fields Medals have been awarded to four researchers who work on number theory, geometry and network analysis
Open Letter to the Fields Medal Committee
Why you should give the award to me
People Ration Where They Roam
An analysis of the movement of some 40,000 people suggests most of us frequent only 25 places—and as we sub in new favorites, we drop old ones. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Why Tau Trumps Pi
A growing movement argues that killing pi would make mathematics simpler, easier and even more beautiful
Celebrate Tau Day with an Extra Slice of Pi
To understand tau, you need to understand pi. Watch how mathematicians from Archimedes on have wrapped their heads around the math of circles.
![A Theory with No Strings Attached: Can Beautiful Physics Be Wrong? [Excerpt]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/2BB46374-2DF6-47D6-89F31FE7D75D2F83_agenda.jpg?w=275&h=154&fit=crop)
A Theory with No Strings Attached: Can Beautiful Physics Be Wrong? [Excerpt]
A physicist decries the trend of chasing after aesthetically pleasing theories that lack empirical evidence
Computers Predict Pop Chart Success
An evolutionary analysis of pop tunes revealed that over the past 30 years songs have grown sadder—but the big hits buck that trend. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Maria Agnesi, the Greatest Female Mathematician You've Never Heard of
Born 300 years ago this month, Agnesi was the first woman to write a mathematics textbook and to be appointed to a university chair in math
Radar Scans Detail North Korean Nukes
Scientists have added radar info to seismic data, isotope measurements and optical imagery to study covert nuclear tests. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Africa: Future Worldwide Science Hub
Thierry Zomahoun, president of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, talks about the potential and needs of science on the continent.
How Seashells Take Shape
Mathematical modeling reveals the mechanical forces that guide the development of mollusk spirals, spines and ribs
Robot, Make Me a Sandwich!
A surprisingly silly science activity from Science Buddies