A UNSW Sydney mathematician has discovered a new method to tackle algebra's oldest challenge—solving higher polynomial equations. Polynomials are equations involving a variable raised to powers, such ...

For centuries, one of algebra’s oldest puzzles has remained unsolved—how to find exact answers for higher-degree polynomials, where the variable is raised to the fifth power or more. Mathematicians ...

You scrambled up a Rubik's cube, and now you want to put it back in order. What sequence of moves should you make? Surprise: You can answer this question with modern algebra. Most folks who have been ...

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Before being mortally wounded in a duel at age 20, Évariste Galois discovered the hidden structure of polynomial equations. By studying the relationships between their solutions — rather than the ...

A mathematician at Carnegie Mellon University has developed an easier way to solve quadratic equations. The mathematician hopes this method will help students avoid memorizing obtuse formulas. His ...

A mathematician has built an algebraic solution to an equation that was once believed impossible to solve. The equations are fundamental to maths as well as science, where they have broad applications ...