“Ultrafinitism, a philosophy that rejects the infinite, has long been dismissed as mathematical heresy. But it is also producing new insights in math and beyond.”
math
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Man Who Stole Infinity
“In an 1874 paper, Georg Cantor proved that there are different sizes of infinity and changed math forever. A trove of newly unearthed letters shows that it was also an act of plagiarism.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Have We Been Measuring Mountains All Wrong?
“A new method for quantifying grandeur is reshuffling the pecking order of the planet’s most impressive peaks. Turns out Everest has steep competition.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
At 17, Hannah Cairo Solved a Major Math Mystery
“After finding the homeschooling life confining, the teen petitioned her way into a graduate class at Berkeley, where she ended up disproving a 40-year-old conjecture.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Spreadsheet Superstars
“An elite handful of analysts, actuaries, and accountants have mastered Excel, arguably the most important software in the business world. So what do they do in Vegas? They open a spreadsheet.”