Collections

One of the beautiful things about maths is that every concept is part of a bigger picture — a picture that grows over time, transcends traditional boundaries, and often informs a range of real-world applications. The collections below aim to present some of these mathematical jigsaws by bringing together content exploring specific topics from different perspectives and at varying levels of depth.

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Happy birthday, George Boole!

Modern computers wouldn't be possible without George Boole, who died before light bulbs even came on the market. We celebrate his 200th birthday with a look at the man and his work.
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What is quantum computing?

Quantum computers often grab the science headlines. But what exactly is quantum computing? What will quantum computers be able to do, and when can we expect to have fully functional ones?
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What is impossible?

How understanding why something is impossible can often lead to deeper understanding, contemplations of philosophy and even new mathematics.
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What is infinity?

What is infinity? Does it even exist? And how many infinities are there?
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How many universes are there?

No one really knows the answer to this question. It's quite possible that there are more than one, in fact there may be infinitely many, popping in and out of existence like bubbles in a bubble bath.
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What is time?

Does time have a beginning? Is it possible to travel through time? And what does it mean to say that time is relative?
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What is information?

These articles introduce some of the question posed by the concept of information and its role in different areas of science and philosophy.
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Can you measure information?

Can you measure information? It's a tricky question — but people have tried and come up with very interesting ideas.
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The 2014 Plus advent calendar

In this year's advent calendar we bring you some of our favourite books and other mathematical toys, so you can surprise your friends and family or, even better, yourself!

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Are there limits to information?

With recent advances in information technology it seems that there is no limit to how much smaller and better computer chips can get. But is this really true?
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Can information be turned into energy?

In the latest online poll of our Information about information project you told us that you'd like an answer to this question. We asked Seth Lloyd, an expert on information at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and here is an answer. We also bring you two related articles from FQXi who are our partners on this project. Happy reading!