You can probably think of a time when you’ve used math to solve an everyday problem, such as calculating a tip at a restaurant or determining the square footage of a room. But what role does math play ...

You can probably think of a time when you’ve used math to solve an everyday problem, such as calculating a tip at a restaurant or determining the square footage of a room. But what role does math play ...

Introducing new math concepts via already-worked examples can give students a significant boost in learning. But choosing the right problems makes a big difference. An analysis earlier this year of ...

The Bernese theoretical astrophysicist Kevin Heng has achieved a rare feat: On paper, he has derived novel solutions to an old mathematical problem needed to calculate light reflections from planets ...

The Greek philosopher Plato wrote about Socrates challenging a student with the "doubling the square" problem in about 385 B.C.E. When asked to double the area of a square, the student doubled the ...

Everyone agreed on the first step: Solve inside the parentheses, for 2+2=4. But after that, people split down two paths. Some multiplied first, while others divided, leading to different answers—1 and ...

The "knapsack problem" is a widespread computing challenge—and no, it doesn't have to do just with literal backpacks. golubovy / iStock Imagine you’re a thief robbing a museum exhibit of tantalizing ...

At first glance, the problem seems ridiculously simple. And yet experts have been searching for a solution in vain for decades. According to mathematician Jeffrey Lagarias, number theorist Shizuo ...

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is probably the most prestigious competition for preuniversity students. Every year students from around the world compete for its coveted bronze, silver ...

Scientists recently announced progress on an elusive problem from 1960 known as the Sunflower Conjecture. While it doesn’t involve any plant biology, it does deal with objects called “mathematical ...

Want to help your seventh-grader master math? Here are some of the skills your child will be learning in the classroom in seventh grade. At a “25% Off” sale, Marissa buys a skirt for $40.50. What was ...

Alan Veliz-Cuba has received funding from the Simons Foundation and the American Mathematical Society for some of his research. You can probably think of a time when you’ve used math to solve an ...