Close Menu
Technology Mag

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    With RFK Jr. in Charge, Insurers Aren’t Saying If They’ll Cover Vaccines for Kids If Government Stops Recommending Them

    July 5, 2025

    I’m an Outdoor Writer. I’m Shopping These 55 Deals From REI’s 4th of July Sale

    July 5, 2025

    Samsung is about to find out if Ultra is enough

    July 5, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Subscribe
    Technology Mag
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    • Home
    • News
    • Business
    • Games
    • Gear
    • Reviews
    • Science
    • Security
    • Trending
    • Press Release
    Technology Mag
    Home » Mathematicians Just Debunked the ‘Bunkbed Conjecture’
    Science

    Mathematicians Just Debunked the ‘Bunkbed Conjecture’

    News RoomBy News RoomDecember 3, 20242 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp Email

    Their result shows the importance of not taking anything for granted, said Noga Alon, a mathematician at Princeton. “We have to be suspicious, even about things that intuitively look very likely to be true.”

    Gladkov, Pak, and Zimin found many small-graph examples that satisfied the conjecture, but in the end, those did not reflect the more complicated, less intuitive graphs they could build when given enough vertices and edges.

    As Hollom put it, “Do we actually understand all this stuff as well as we think we do?”

    Mathematicians still believe the physics statement about connected locations within solids that inspired the bunkbed conjecture. But they’ll need to find a different way to prove it.

    In the meantime, Pak says, it’s clear that mathematicians need to engage in a more active discussion about the nature of mathematical proof. He and his colleagues ultimately didn’t have to rely on controversial computational methods; they were able to disprove the conjecture with total certainty. But as computer- and AI-based lines of attack become more common in mathematics research, some mathematicians are debating whether the field’s norms will eventually have to change. “It’s a philosophical question,” Alon said. “How do we view proofs that are only true with high probability?”

    “I think the future of mathematics will be to accept probabilistic proofs like this,” said Doron Zeilberger, a mathematician at Rutgers University who is known for crediting his computer as a coauthor on many of his papers. “In 50 years, or maybe less, people will have a new attitude.”

    Others wonder if such a future threatens something vital. “Maybe a probabilistic proof would give you less understanding or intuition of what’s really going on,” Alon said.

    Pak has suggested that separate journals be created for results of this kind as they become more common, so that their value isn’t lost to mathematicians. But his main goal is to open the conversation. “There’s no correct answer,” he said. “I want the community to meditate on whether the next result of this kind will count.” As technology continues to infiltrate and transform mathematics, the question will only become more pressing.


    Original story reprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent publication of the Simons Foundation whose mission is to enhance public understanding of science by covering research developments and trends in mathematics and the physical and life sciences.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleJaguar Finally Reveals Its All-Electric Type 00 After a Contentious Rebrand
    Next Article This Website Shows How Much Google’s AI Can Glean From Your Photos

    Related Posts

    With RFK Jr. in Charge, Insurers Aren’t Saying If They’ll Cover Vaccines for Kids If Government Stops Recommending Them

    July 5, 2025

    Feeling Hoarse? You Might Have the New ‘Stratus’ Covid Variant

    July 4, 2025

    A European Startup’s Spacecraft Made It to Orbit. Now It’s Lost at Sea

    July 3, 2025

    The Next Acetaminophen Tablet You Take Could Be Made From PET

    July 2, 2025

    How Much Energy Does AI Use? The People Who Know Aren’t Saying

    July 2, 2025

    Space Elevators Could Totally Work—if Earth Days Were Much Shorter

    July 2, 2025
    Our Picks

    I’m an Outdoor Writer. I’m Shopping These 55 Deals From REI’s 4th of July Sale

    July 5, 2025

    Samsung is about to find out if Ultra is enough

    July 5, 2025

    Everything You Can Do in the Photoshop Mobile App

    July 5, 2025

    The Promise and Peril of Digital Security in the Age of Dictatorship

    July 5, 2025
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Vimeo
    Don't Miss
    News

    The Ploopy Knob is an open-source control dial for your PC

    By News RoomJuly 4, 2025

    Ploopy has announced another desktop accessory called the Ploopy Knob that can function like a…

    Laid-off workers should use AI to manage their emotions, says Xbox exec

    July 4, 2025

    Despite Protests, Elon Musk Secures Air Permit for xAI

    July 4, 2025

    This Is Why Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch Needed Human Babysitters

    July 4, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of use
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    © 2025 Technology Mag. All Rights Reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.