At the turn of the 20th century, the renowned mathematician David Hilbert had a grand ambition to bring a more rigorous, mathematical way of thinking into the world of physics. At the time, physicists ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. At the turn of the 20th century, the renowned mathematician David Hilbert had a grand ambition to bring a more rigorous, mathematical ...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Hilbert's sixth problem was one of the loftiest. He called for "axiomatizing" physics, or ...

Since the start of the 20th century, the heart of mathematics has been the proof — a rigorous, logical argument for whether a given statement is true or false. Mathematicians’ careers are measured by ...

A new calculation shows how five atoms interact in the Efimov effect. It marks a major leap in quantum physics. Matter behaves weirdly at the quantum scale, one of the strangest examples being the ...