MathematicsMay 23, 2023
These Are the Most Bizarre Numbers in the Universe
Most real numbers are unknown—even to mathematicians
Math
MathematicsMay 8, 2023
What Is Benford’s Law? Why This Unexpected Pattern of Numbers Is Everywhere
A curious mathematical phenomenon called Benford’s law governs the numbers all around us
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MathematicsMay 4, 2023
Why the ‘Sleeping Beauty Problem’ Is Keeping Mathematicians Awake
A thought experiment that’s dividing mathematicians can help illuminate how belief shapes rational decisions
MathematicsApril 28, 2023
Information Theory Finds the Best Wordle Starting Words
Information theory can help people mathematically calculate the best starting guess for a popular online game
MathematicsApril 10, 2023
2 High School Students Have Proved the Pythagorean Theorem. Here’s What That Means
At an American Mathematical Society meeting, high school students presented a proof of the Pythagorean theorem that used trigonometry—an approach that some once considered impossible
MathematicsApril 10, 2023
Newfound Mathematical ‘Einstein’ Shape Creates a Never-Repeating Pattern
A new shape called an einstein has taken the math world by storm. The craggy, hat-shaped tile can cover an infinite plane with patterns that never repeat.
MathematicsApril 10, 2023
A Number System Invented by Inuit Schoolchildren Will Make Its Silicon Valley Debut
Math is called the “universal language,” but a unique dialect is being reborn
MathematicsApril 6, 2023
How Mathematics Can Predict—And Help Prevent—The Next Pandemic
Mathematician Abba Gumel uses calculations and models to prepare for future disease outbreaks
MathematicsMarch 23, 2023
Top Math Prize Awarded for Describing the Dynamics of the Flow of Rivers and the Melting of Ice
Argentine mathematician Luis Caffarelli has won the 2023 Abel Prize for making natural phenomena more understandable and eliminating dreaded “infinities” from a calculation
MathematicsMarch 23, 2023
Mathematician Wins Abel Prize for ‘Smooth’ Physics
Luis Caffarelli’s work includes equations underpinning physical phenomena, such as melting ice and flowing liquids
MathematicsMarch 20, 2023
The World’s Simplest Theorem Shows That 8,000 People Globally Have the Same Number of Hairs on Their Head
Hairiness is the perfect way to demonstrate the math underlying the “pigeonhole principle,” first conceived in 1622
MathematicsMarch 14, 2023
If the mathematical constant pi was a song, what would it sound like?
Every year on Pi Day, we have a reason to celebrate one of math’s most famous symbols. But this year we speak to someone who has captured it in song.