Mathematics

An intriguing question about drums kicked off decades of inquiry

His groundbreaking work combined the mathematical field of topology with string theory

Dennis Sullivan’s work has advanced the study of shapes, and he developed tools that have helped to solve many mathematical problems

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

For years, concerned researchers have been calling for a boycott of the 2022 International Congress of Mathematicians

Critics accuse the organization of opposing efforts to stamp out inequity

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

Mathematicians have expanded category theory into infinite dimensions, revealing new connections among mathematical concepts

A new model could help model disease transmission and urban planning

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

Mathematicians want to think their field is a meritocracy, but bias, harassment and exclusion persist

A photography project reveals the allure of equations in mathematicians’ blackboard work