Mathematics
The Elusive Origin of Zero
Who decided that nothing should be something?
Mathematics22 articles archived since 1845
Statistics
How Florence Nightingale Changed Data Visualization Forever
The celebrated nurse improved public health through her groundbreaking use of graphic storytelling
Mathematics
Ukrainian Mathematician Becomes Second Woman to Win Prestigious Fields Medal
Maryna Viazovska, who works on the geometry of spheres, is one of four winners of the coveted prize this year
Mathematics
Mathematicians Are Trying to ‘Hear’ Shapes—And Reach Higher Dimensions
An intriguing question about drums kicked off decades of inquiry
Mathematics
Math in 3-D: Q&A with Abel Prize Winner Dennis Sullivan
His groundbreaking work combined the mathematical field of topology with string theory
Mathematics
Virtuoso Mathematician Who Reshaped Topology Wins Abel Prize
Dennis Sullivan’s work has advanced the study of shapes, and he developed tools that have helped to solve many mathematical problems
Mathematics
The Evolving Quest for a Grand Unified Theory of Mathematics
More than 50 years after the seeds of a vast collection of mathematical ideas called the Langlands program began to sprout, surprising new findings are emerging
Mathematics
3 Revolutionary Women of Mathematics
Everyone knows that history's great mathematicians were all men—but everybody is wrong
Mathematics
Mathematicians Protest Russia Hosting Major Conference
For years, concerned researchers have been calling for a boycott of the 2022 International Congress of Mathematicians
Mathematics
New Math Research Group Reflects a Schism in the Field
Critics accuse the organization of opposing efforts to stamp out inequity
Mathematics
Gnarly, Centuries-Old Mathematical Quandaries Get New Solutions
A set of puzzles called Diophantine problems are often simple to state but hard to solve—though progress could have big implications for the future of mathematics
Mathematics
Simple Mathematical Law Predicts Movement in Cities around the World
A new model could help model disease transmission and urban planning
Mathematics
Infinity Category Theory Offers a Bird’s-Eye View of Mathematics
Mathematicians have expanded category theory into infinite dimensions, revealing new connections among mathematical concepts
Mathematics
A Deep Math Dive into Why Some Infinities Are Bigger Than Others
The size of certain infinite sets has been a mystery. Now, it turns out, each one is different than the next, and they can all be ordered by size
Mathematics
Modern Mathematics Confronts Its White, Patriarchal Past
Mathematicians want to think their field is a meritocracy, but bias, harassment and exclusion persist
Mathematics
The Art of Mathematics in Chalk
A photography project reveals the allure of equations in mathematicians’ blackboard work
Quantum Physics
How Scientists Solved One of the Greatest Open Questions in Quantum Physics
The story of a macroscopic quantum system and a mathematical odyssey
Mathematics
The Three-Body Problem
Although mathematicians know they can never fully “solve” this centuries-old quandary, tackling smaller pieces of it has yielded some intriguing discoveries
Quantum Physics
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
Voronoi Tessellations and Scutoids Are Everywhere
So what are they, anyway?
