Years ago, an audacious Fields medalist outlined a sweeping program that, he claimed, could be used to resolve a major problem in algebraic geometry. Other mathematicians had their doubts. Now he says he has a proof. The post String Theory Inspires a Brilliant, Baffling New Math Proof first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Large language models such as ChatGPT come with filters to keep certain info from getting out. A new mathematical argument shows that systems like this can never be completely safe. The post Cryptographers Show That AI Protections Will Always Have Holes first appeared on Quanta Magazine
A newly proposed explanation for the slipperiness of ice has revived a centuries-long debate. The post Why Is Ice Slippery? A New Hypothesis Slides Into the Chat. first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Is language core to thought, or a separate process? For 15 years, the neuroscientist Ev Fedorenko has gathered evidence of a language network in the human brain — and has found some parallels to LLMs. The post The Polyglot Neuroscientist Resolving How the Brain Parses Language first appeared on Quanta Magazine
By combining the language of groups with that of geometry and linear algebra, Marius Sophus Lie created one of math’s most powerful tools. The post What Are Lie Groups? first appeared on Quanta Magazine
