A Wild Claim about the Powers of Pi Creates a Transcendental Mystery
Mathematicians cannot determine whether multiplying pi by itself repeatedly might produce a whole number
Mathematics
This Nomadic Eccentric Was the Most Prolific Mathematician in History
The bizarre life and legacy of Paul Erdős, the most prolific mathematician ever
Math Explains Why Your Friends Are More Popular Than You
The inspection paradox makes sense of social networks, long train wait times and why the call center is always busy
Simple Math Creates Infinite and Bizarre Automorphic Numbers
Squaring numbers can have surprising consequences
Inside Mathematicians’ Search for the Mysterious ‘Einstein Tile’
The quest for the einstein tile—a shape never seen before in mathematics—turned up even more discoveries than mathematicians counted on
Podcasts of the Year: Cleo, the Mysterious Math Menace
In 2013 a new user named Cleo took an online math forum by storm with unproved answers. Today she’s an urban legend. But who was she? A 2023 editor's pick.
How Cryptographic ‘Secret Sharing’ Can Keep Information Safe
One safe, five sons and betrayal: this principle shows how shared knowledge can protect secrets—without having to trust anyone
How Quantum Math Theory Turned into a Jazz Concert
A mathematician and a musician collaborated to turn a quantum research paper into a jazz performance
The Devastating Logic of Christine Ladd-Franklin
This early feminist fought for the credit she deserved for her deductive reasoning system and her educational qualifications
An Ancient Art Form Topples Assumptions about Mathematics
The sand drawings of Vanuatu follow principles from a branch of mathematics known as graph theory
Is the Lottery Ever a Good Bet?
The surprisingly subtle math behind the Powerball and Mega Millions
Simple Formula Makes Prime Numbers Easy, but a Million-Dollar Mystery Remains
A generator equation can spit out many prime numbers, but it leaves important mathematical questions unanswered