During the weeklong Election Day, The New York Times electoral map was permanently open as a tab on my computer. I stared and refreshed. Eventually, the white-outlined states turned to gray as votes ...

Robert J. Vanderbei does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations ...

In a world where we rely on Google Maps to get everywhere, from the nearest chai tapri to a road trip in the mountains, it’s hard to imagine life before those tiny coloured lines told us where to turn ...