Fermat’s last theorem is just one of many examples of innocent-looking problems that can long stymie even the most astute mathematicians. It took about 350 years to prove Fermat’s scribbled conjecture ...

Mathematicians thought they were on the cusp of proving a conjecture about the ancient structures known as Apollonian circles. But a summer project would lead to its downfall. Summer Haag and Clyde ...

Two young mathematicians are illuminating a frontier in the study of rational solutions to polynomial equations: the cubics. According to one version of the story, Hippasus made this discovery at sea, ...

University of Florida provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation US. What happens when someone claims to have proved a famous conjecture? Well, it depends. When a paper is submitted, ...

It is well-known that our intuition is not perfect. We are predictably irrational in a huge number of ways in our everyday lives. But what about something a bit more sophisticated? Are there times ...