Geometrical problems involve proving facts about angles or lines in complicated shapes Google DeepMind An AI from Google DeepMind can solve some International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) questions on geometry almost as well as the best human contestants. “The results of AlphaGeometry are stunning and breathtaking,” says Gregor Dolinar, the IMO president. “It seems that AI … Read more
A suspiciously high number of people guess the Wordle word on their first try Emre Akkoyun/Shutterstock Thousands of people are probably cheating to solve the daily word-guessing game Wordle on the first try – and many more players remain surprisingly loyal to their favourite words. Wordle, now owned by The New York Times, challenges people … Read more
Objects called trajectoids can be shaped to roll along desired pathways Bartosz Grzybowski et al Wonky spheres can be sculpted to roll eternally downhill along any possible path, as long as the path repeats. These “trajectoids” could be used to design robots that follow particular routes, or to model how the spin of quantum computer … Read more
Quantum computers such as Google’s Sycamore could be put to use creating numbers that are guaranteed to be truly random HANNAH BENET/Google Quantum computers can be used to generate truly random numbers that can’t be faked – which could be useful for secure communications or cryptocurrency networks like Ethereum. The process could be run on … Read more
Security researchers who find a flaw in software normally privately inform the developers of it in the hope of prompting a fix, but now a mathematical trick can let them apply public pressure without releasing dangerous details of the bug Technology 17 January 2023 By Matthew Sparkes Software bugs can be exploited to steal people’s … Read more
A rapidly evolving field of mathematics called fractional calculus can reveal the finest details of physical processes, allowing engineers to improve everything from anaesthesia to batteries Technology 10 November 2021 Chris Malbon IT IS the ultimate “your life in their hands” moment. The anaesthetist is counting down from 10. You are about to lose the … Read more