Unsolvable problems, many-dimensional wheels and new prime numbers are among new mathematical discoveries this year
. Some of these findings are practical—the newfound shapes, for instance, show up in nature and have been used for creative architecture designs. Others, such as the 41-million-digit prime number, aren’t quite as useful—but all are fascinating. Here’s a look at a few of the most exciting mathematical discoveries we wrote about this year.A mathematician wondered how few corners a shape could have and still fit together to completely cover a surface with no gaps.
But calculating the exact digits of this irrational number has always been a challenge. Recently physicists used string theory to come up with an entirelyFor 40 years, mathematicians have pondered a question: How can we find constant-width shapes with the minimum volume in any dimension? Researchers recentlyto answer this question. The newfangled wheels can be constructed in any dimension at a fraction of the size of more traditional rolling shapes, such as circles or spheres.
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