Math

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Math

    Paper Bags and Tricky Folds

    Folding a grocery bag flat takes a special kind of effort.

    By Ivars Peterson
  2. Math

    Closing the Gap on Twin Primes

    A long-sought proof that there are infinitely many pairs of primes that differ by only 2 may not be far away.

    By Ivars Peterson
  3. Math

    Name Voyager

    A striking form of data visualization enhances the search for a suitable name for a baby.

    By Ivars Peterson
  4. Math

    Air Transport Central

    The world's air transportation network resembles the Internet.

    By Ivars Peterson
  5. Math

    Magic Squares of Squares

    Squared integers can be put into magic patterns.

    By Ivars Peterson
  6. Math

    Sudoku Math

    A logic puzzle craze puts the spotlight on Latin squares.

    By Ivars Peterson
  7. Math

    Pieces of Numbers

    A long-sought proof has forged an intriguing link between numbers expressed as sums and as products.

    By Erica Klarreich
  8. Math

    Winning at Tennis

    The probability of winning a tennis set or match doesn't depend, in theory, on which player serves first.

    By Ivars Peterson
  9. Math

    Knot an Interchange

    Highway interchanges can get you into knotty situations.

    By Ivars Peterson
  10. Math

    Mean Median Surprise

    Calculations of means and medians lead to surprising sequences of numbers.

    By Ivars Peterson
  11. Math

    Divisibility by Seven

    An ingenious, recently developed method tests if a number is divisible by 7.

    By Ivars Peterson
  12. Math

    Coins in a Row

    A simple game involving coins in a row has unexpected complexities.

    By Ivars Peterson