The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. If you’ve been making the same commute for a long time, you’ve probably settled on what seems like the best route. But “best” is a ...

The algorithm relies on the Kac-Ward formalism, a mathematical method that allows exact computation of partition functions for planar spin glass systems in polynomial time, making it possible to ...

If you are planning a trip through several cities and want to find the shortest route, you resort to algorithms, a well-defined sequence of deterministic operations. This article accompanies the ...