The Four-Color Theorem Gets a Rare New Proof
By revisiting the famous problem — which was controversially solved in the 1970s with the help of computers — mathematicians have gained important new insights into the nature of graphs.
By revisiting the famous problem — which was controversially solved in the 1970s with the help of computers — mathematicians have gained important new insights into the nature of graphs.
The short version
- The post The Four-Color Theorem Gets a Rare New Proof first appeared on Quanta Magazine.
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What happened
The four-color theorem is simple to state: Given a contiguous map, is it possible to color each region with one of four colors such that no neighboring regions share a color? Some math problems continue to haunt researchers long after they’ve been solved.
Why it matters
A proof emerges, is even celebrated, and yet dissatisfaction lingers.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Quanta Magazine via the links above and below.