Several fields of mathematics have developed in total isolation, using their own 'undecipherable' coded languages. Mathematicians now present 'big algebras,' a two-way mathematical 'dictionary' ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. The Universe is out there, waiting for you to discover it. When it comes to describing the physical world, we can do it ...

Breakthroughs in physics sometimes require an assist from the field of mathematics—and vice versa. In 1912, Albert Einstein, then a 33-year-old theoretical physicist at the Eidgenössische Technische ...

Why is mathematics so complicated? It’s a question many students will ask while grappling with a particularly complex calculus problem — and their teachers will probably echo while setting or marking ...

Early in his new book, physics historian Graham Farmelo quotes Nima Arkani-Hamed, a theoretical physicist at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton, N.J.: “We can eavesdrop on nature not ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. In October, a Falcon Heavy rocket is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida, carrying NASA’s Europa Clipper mission. The $5 ...

Every pure mathematician has experienced that awkward moment when asked, “So what’s your research good for?” There are standard responses: a proud “Nothing!”; an explanation that mathematical research ...

At first glance, physics and food science appear to belong to different worlds. Physics is often seen as abstract, mathematical and distant from daily life, while food science feels immediate, ...

His unifying disparate theoretical realms helped revolutionize our understanding of the most basic structure of the universe. By Julie Rehmeyer Isadore Singer, who unified large areas of mathematics ...

It is intrinsically beautiful, can be appreciated for its logical patterns, and is powerful when used in applications. It is the science of relationship structure and provides tools for solving ...

A 3D-printed decuplet crystal, skeleton, and nerves of a big algebra designed by Daniel Bedats. Printed with the Stratasys J750 3D printer at ISTA’s Miba Machine Shop. Symmetry is not just a question ...