Mathematics

A researcher using the Lean formalisation language has uncovered a fundamental flaw in a influential 2006 physics paper on the two Higgs doublet model. Joseph Tooby-Smith at the University of Bath made the discovery while building a library of verified physics theorems. The original authors have acknowledged the error and plan to issue an erratum.

19. marts 2026 Rapporteret af AI

Mathematician Gerd Faltings has been awarded the 2026 Abel Prize, often called the Nobel of mathematics, for his 1983 proof of the Mordell conjecture. The proof, proposed in 1922, resolved a 60-year mystery about solutions to certain equations. Faltings also received the Fields Medal in 1986 for the same achievement.

A physicist's study of Chess960, a variant that randomizes starting piece positions, shows that not all configurations are equally fair to white and black players. By evaluating complexity using chess software, the research identifies positions that could balance the game better. This challenges the assumption that randomization alone ensures equity in the popular format.

29. december 2025 Rapporteret af AI

In 2025, a team led by Zaher Hani at the University of Michigan solved one of David Hilbert's longstanding problems, seamlessly linking the mathematical descriptions of fluids across different scales. This breakthrough connects microscopic particle behavior to macroscopic flows like water in a sink. The achievement draws on techniques from quantum field theory and promises insights into atmospheric and oceanic dynamics.