Math

Mental math shortcuts suggest future STEM performance—and gender is a significant predictor

The strange case for prime numbers at the heart of physics

This Oscar-winning classic set a surprisingly simple mathematical challenge

Since ancient Greece, researchers have tried to isolate special rational points on curves. Now they have the first ever formula that applies uniformly to all curves

Blizzards are a real-life example of what game theorists call the “snowdrift problem,” a cousin of the prisoner’s dilemma that offers clues to why we choose to cooperate

George Pólya’s random walk theorem absolved him of being a lurker and revealed how the laws of chance interact with physical space

Sum up the circles in this math puzzle

Deep within the source code of this online multiplayer game lies an enigmatic number that puzzles and inspires experts to this day

Experts gave AI 10 math problems to solve in a week. OpenAI, researchers and amateurs all gave it their best shot

LLMs have recently helped find solutions to a number of minor longstanding problems. But a new plan called First Proof is really putting them to the test

A new tool expands the ways people can prove they’ve solved a problem without revealing the solution

Frustrated by the AI industry’s claims of proving math results without offering transparency, a team of leading academics has proposed a better way