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Mathematics news
AI makes a major breakthrough in a math problem that had stumped experts for decades
For nearly 80 years, mathematicians have struggled to solve a classic geometry puzzle first posed by Paul Erdős in 1946: the planar unit distance problem. The question posed by the legendary Hungarian mathematician was, on ...
When noisy decision-making becomes a strategic advantage
A new study shows that apparently erratic or "sloppy" behavior in strategic situations is not necessarily a mistake. Under certain conditions, being less sensitive to one's own gains can become a long-term advantage.
Mathematics
May 21, 2026
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A physicist's fresh look at the 'prisoner's dilemma' reveals hope for cooperation
The "prisoner's dilemma" is one of the most famous ideas in game theory. For decades, this game has been used to explain why selfishness often beats cooperation. In the prisoner's dilemma, two players can either cooperate ...
Mathematics
May 18, 2026
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136
Fair matching systems can still produce unequal outcomes, new research finds
A computerized matching system can be designed to be fair and still produce unequal outcomes if the people using it do not understand how it works, according to new research published in Organization Science that shows that ...
Mathematics
May 15, 2026
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Mathematical analysis reveals a hidden 'golden rule' in abstract art
A mathematical method borrowed from topology can reveal structural properties of visual art that correspond to how people perceive and respond to them, according to a new study published in PLOS Computational Biology by Jacek ...
Mathematics
May 14, 2026
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Mathematicians prove existence of Kaleidocycles then unlock their exact motion
Kaleidocycles are flexible polyhedral structures composed of rigid tetrahedra connected along their edges to form rotating rings. Each tetrahedron is a solid 3D polygon with four triangular faces (like a triangular pyramid), ...
Mathematics
May 14, 2026
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105
Identity traits sharply narrow who becomes friends or marries, model reveals
Our personal identity is composed of many dimensions, such as age, gender, ethnic background, or socioeconomic status. A research team led by Fariba Karimi from the Institute of Human-Centered Computing at Graz University ...
Mathematics
May 13, 2026
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81
Q&A: The political calculus—and actual math—of gerrymandering
On April 29, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Louisiana's voting map on the basis that the state had illegally used race as a consideration when it created a new majority-Black district. Observers say the ruling could have ...
Mathematics
May 7, 2026
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Theoretical framework can predict how complex networks behave
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has spearheaded an international research collaboration to develop a pioneering theoretical framework that deciphers the predictability of complex networks. A research team including Professor ...
Mathematics
May 7, 2026
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Study warns cost-cutting use of generative AI could increase cyber-attack risks
Newly published research from a leading computer scientist warns that the use of generative AI to design, train, or perform steps within a machine learning system could increase serious risks. Michael Lones, professor at ...
Mathematics
May 3, 2026
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AI tackles one of math's most brutal problems: Inverse PDEs
Penn Engineers have developed a new way to use AI to solve inverse partial differential equations (PDEs), a particularly challenging class of mathematical problems with broad implications for understanding the natural world.
Mathematics
May 1, 2026
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A physics explanation shows why US elections keep ending 50:50—and why more spending won't change that
A physics-inspired model calibrated on 40 years of US congressional data pinpoints a spending threshold of roughly 1.8 million USD at which campaigns stop influencing who wins and start fueling polarization instead.
Mathematics
Apr 30, 2026
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Western music is getting simpler and more repetitive by the day and data prove it
Ever had that moment when a song comes on and it feels strangely familiar, like it reminds you of another song that came out just a few months ago? If you feel this phenomenon has become more frequent, then you are not imagining ...
How can opinions be maximally influenced? New research offers insights
Who should you target, and when, to maximize the impact of your message? New research uses mathematical models to show that targeted influence is significantly more effective than random persuasion. In social networks, certain ...
Mathematics
Apr 28, 2026
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Universal patterns emerge across 22 languages, mapping how vocabularies evolve
Human languages are known to have grown and changed considerably over the course of history, often reflecting technological, cultural, and societal shifts. Studying the evolution of languages can thus offer valuable insight ...
We think norms spread by imitation, but one deceptively simple rule tells a more human story
A paper appearing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers a strikingly simple answer to a longstanding question: How do people learn and settle on shared social conventions, from everyday habits to workplace ...
Mathematics
Apr 23, 2026
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World's largest collection of Olympiad-level math problems now available to everyone
Every year, the countries competing in the International Mathematical Olympiad arrive with a booklet of their best, most original problems. Those booklets get shared among delegations, then quietly disappear. No one had ever ...
Mathematics
Apr 20, 2026
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Mental math's shortcut—pupil dilation suggests people start solving before all numbers are in
People often solve simple arithmetic problems, such as basic addition, subtraction, multiplication or division, in their minds. The precise mental processes they rely on to solve these problems, however, are not entirely ...
Crowd flow measurements reveal hidden slowdowns and standstills in dense public spaces
How can public spaces remain safe when large crowds move through them? Engineers and researchers who study these environments often rely on physical models borrowed from fluid dynamics—a branch of physics that describes the ...
Mathematics
Apr 15, 2026
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What is the chance of a message in a bottle being found?
Recently, a cheerful 100-year-old message in a bottle was found on the south-west coast of Australia. In it, a World War One soldier proclaimed to be "as happy as Larry."
Mathematics
Apr 13, 2026
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More news
When it comes to networks, nature has an edge
Seeing global trade through the lens of physics
Other news
Key switch controlling soil fungi symbiosis could solve a longstanding agricultural problem
Second ribosome binding site helps explain how tetracyclines work
Bodies in fashion: Diversity is up, but the ideal stays the same
Sequential antibiotic strategy can weaken dangerous pathogens
Understanding the mechanisms of collective cell movement
