We recently wrote about how infinitely large sets are not all the same size as each other, but we were a bit vague about what we meant by a set. The people who invented set theory also started out ...

A team of four prominent mathematicians, including two Fields medalists, proved a conjecture described as a “holy grail of additive combinatorics.” Within a month, a loose collaboration verified it ...

In 1886 the mathematician Leopold Kronecker famously said, “God Himself made the whole numbers — everything else is the work of men.” Indeed, mathematicians have introduced new sets of numbers besides ...

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? A mathematician may have just proved the impossible possible. For 30 years, ...

A child’s ability to understand and manipulate sets of numbers in 1st grade predicts how well he or she will succeed in the math required both in secondary school and for day-to-day living, according ...

Teaching set theory to six-year-olds as a way into mathematics, from arithmetic on, would come to be considered misguided, overcomplicating the basics and introducing jargon. Yet however radical a ...