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Mathematics news
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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1941
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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5
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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'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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2011
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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54
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 ...
Mathematical framework maps landscape of student knowledge via short quizzes
When we learn something new, that information does not exist in isolation. It integrates into the complex landscape of our knowledge, forging connections with existing ideas and opening up possibilities for new learning. ...
Mathematics
Mar 24, 2026
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Neutrality can speed up and stabilize collective decisions, new study shows
Trying to persuade people to abandon deeply held views often backfires, leaving groups entrenched and unable to move forward. A new study by researchers at the University of Bath in the UK proposes a strategy that is both ...
Mathematics
Mar 23, 2026
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Bell-bottoms today, miniskirts tomorrow: Math reveals fashion's 20-year cycle
Fashion insiders and beauty magazines have long cited the "20-year-rule"—the idea that clothing trends often resurface every two decades. According to Northwestern University scientists, that observation isn't just anecdotal. ...
Mathematics
Mar 17, 2026
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Statistics that tell the whole truth? It's as easy as ABC
It's said that statistics don't lie, but they often don't tell the whole truth, either. A Cornell statistics expert has come up with a method he believes can boost statistical power and significantly reduce bias—vital for ...
Mathematics
Mar 17, 2026
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When it comes to networks, nature has an edge
Networks exist in both nature—such as biological systems like food webs and gene regulatory networks—and in engineered systems as seen in power grids. Though natural and engineered systems share an overarching goal—providing ...
Mathematics
Mar 17, 2026
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ChatGPT can provide original mathematical proofs, researchers show
VUB's Data Analytics Lab has published new results showing that it is possible to develop original mathematical proofs using commercial language models. In a paper posted to the arXiv preprint server, the researchers show ...
Mathematics
Mar 16, 2026
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521
Pi Day: From rockets to cancer research, here's how the number pi is embedded in our lives
Math nerds and dessert enthusiasts unite to celebrate Pi Day every March 14, the date that represents the first three digits of the mathematical constant pi.
Mathematics
Mar 14, 2026
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More news
Seeing global trade through the lens of physics
When you do the math, humans still rule
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More activity means less response in active materials
Fluorescent probe lights up centrioles and cilia in living cells across species
Magnet with near-zero external field could reshape future electronics
How gender bias influences math education
High-resolution imaging shines light on nanoscale nuclear organization
