New Proof Illuminates the Hidden Structure of Common Equations
Van der Waerden’s conjecture mystified mathematicians for 85 years. Its solution shows how polynomial roots relate to one another. The post New Proof Illuminates the Hidden Structure of Common Equations first appeared on Quanta Magazine
In a recent paper, Manjul Bhargava of Princeton University has settled an 85-year-old conjecture about one of math’s most ancient obsessions: the solutions to polynomial equations such as x2 – 3x + 2 = 0. “It’s a great problem, famous old question,” said Andrew Granville, a professor at the University of Montreal. “ had an interesting, somewhat different approach, which was very creative.
Originally published in Quanta Abstractions.
