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The maths meme that has been distracting mathematicians for a century
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The maths meme that has been distracting mathematicians for a century

New Scientist · Jun 5, 2026, 9:00 AM

Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.

A seemingly simple set of rules kicks off a kind of mathematical magic trick, which has kept great minds busy since the 1930s. Columnist Jacob Aron explores the origins of the Collatz conjecture, why it is so addictive to mathematicians and whether AI could help us solve it once and for all

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