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 ...

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 ...

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 ...