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Mathematics news
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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6
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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929
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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64
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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10
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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84
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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2019
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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Mathematical signature spots when competition is fair, winner-take-all, or too soft
A University of Houston researcher and his collaborators have developed a mathematical model that helps identify whether a competitive environment is healthy, stagnant or skewed. Published in the journal npj Complexity, the ...
Mathematics
Apr 9, 2026
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Ranks of Disparity: New approach fixes flaw in fairness algorithms
As organizations increasingly rely on algorithms to rank candidates for jobs, university spots, and financial services, a new method, named hyperFA*IR, offers a more principled approach when picking candidates based on a ...
Mathematics
Apr 7, 2026
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15
'Voorhees law' explains why the slower car often catches up
Many drivers will know the feeling: you pull ahead of the slower car you've been stuck behind and cruise the open road ahead at your own, faster speed. By the time you reach the next stop light, you're sure that you've left ...
Analysis finds geometric thinking may come from wandering, not a human-only math module
Debates over how geometry is understood and learned date back at least to the days of Plato, with more recent scholars concluding that only humans possess the foundations of this understanding. However, a new analysis by ...
Mathematics
Apr 6, 2026
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2014
Alignment during conversations is highly situation-dependent, study finds
When people are talking, they can start to unconsciously mirror each other, for instance, in the words they use, their sentence structures and even hand gestures. This tendency to mirror others can lead to smoother conversations, ...
Crushing soda cans and the mathematics of corrugation formation
Many people have likely found themselves watching oddly satisfying videos of random objects being squashed by a powerful hydraulic press, but rarely do people consider why things squash the way they do. One object that caught ...
Mathematics
Mar 31, 2026
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55
How systems science helps keep my flower delivery costs low
When you go out to run errands on the weekend, you're on a "tour" as defined by human mobility researchers. Same if you book a guided tour of a famous city or take a trip on a cruise boat that reaches multiple ports. A characteristic ...
More news
When it comes to networks, nature has an edge
Seeing global trade through the lens of physics
Other news
Swapping molecular building blocks one by one reveals how receptors tell adrenaline from dopamine
Molecular glue could hijack cells' natural machinery to help treat diseases
Human childbirth is not uniquely difficult among mammals
AI surrogate accelerates nonlinear optics simulations by orders of magnitude
Wine's leftovers could help wean chicken farms off antibiotics
Gentle, laser-driven flows enable precise 3D imaging of delicate samples
When you do the math, humans still rule
How invading cancer cells grip and rip their way into new tissues
Quantum circuit test finally exposes what has been warping performance
Meet the whistling mice that use inflatable air sacs to sing
Atoms vibrate on circular paths—with an unexpected twist
