The Busy Beaver Challenge, a notoriously difficult question in theoretical computer science, is now producing answers so large they're impossible to write out using standard mathematical notation.
In theory, quantum physics can bypass the hard mathematical problems at the root of modern encryption. A new proof shows how.
One computer scientist’s “stunning” proof is the first progress in 50 years on one of the most famous questions in computer science.
When pigeons outnumber pigeonholes, some birds must double up. This obvious statement, and its inverse, have deep connections to many areas of math and computer science.
Ten years ago, researchers proved that adding full memory can theoretically aid computation. They’re just now beginning to understand the implications.
Hypothetical devices that can quickly and accurately answer questions have become a powerful tool in computational complexity theory.
Dijkstra’s algorithm was long thought to be the most efficient way to find a graph’s best routes. Researchers have now proven that it’s “universally optimal.”
While devising a new quantum algorithm, four researchers accidentally established a hard limit on the “spooky” phenomenon.
The same phenomenon by which an opera singer can shatter a wineglass also underlies the very existence of subatomic particles.
