Kepler's conjecture confirmed: One of the oldest unsolved problems in mathematics appears to have been settled
Article Abstract:
Proof that no denser packing is possible than in face-centred-cubic packing has taken 387 years to be found. This is due to technical difficulties arising from the fact that the density of packing is defined as the limit of the fraction of space occupied by the balls, the many different packings that are just as dense and the infinitely many ways to arrange 12 balls around another ball. Thomas C Hales has worked on the Kepler conjecture and proposed a five step attack on the problem, and the now completed proof depends heavily on computers.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1998
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Paul Erdos (1913-96)
Article Abstract:
Mathematician Paul Erdos died of a heart attack on Sep. 20, 1996 at a conference in Warsaw, Poland. Born on Mar. 26, 1913 in Budapest, Hungary, Erdos made significant contributions to number theory, probability theory, real and complex analysis, geometry, approximation theory and combinatorics. He has also published about 1,500 papers and about 500-co-authorships throughout his career. A brief overview of Erdos' remarkable career is presented.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1996
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Claude Shannon (1916-2001)
Article Abstract:
An obituary of the mathematician and inventor Claude Shannon who died in 2001 is presented. His career as a scientist and the leading role which he played in the development of the Information Age are discussed.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 2001
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