A Million Dollar Prize for Solving a Math Problem

 

(Yitang Zhang, Photo credit: http://www.voachinese.com/media/video/i-america-math-zhang-yitang-20131204/1803128.html)

The Riemann hypothesis, first proposed by Bernhard Riemann in 1859, deals with the distribution of prime numbers. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was one of the top 23 problems identified by David Hilbert for the mathematical community to work on for the upcoming century. Math Vacation: David Hilbert Problems (jamesmacmath.blogspot.com) Riemann hypothesis - Wikipedia

The Riemann hypothesis and five others remain unsolved. The Clay Mathematics Institute has offered a US$1 million prize to anyone who can solve the Riemann hypothesis. Millennium Problems | Clay Mathematics Institute

The list of unsolved Hilbert problems may be closer to being shorten by University of California – Santa Barbara professor Yitang Zhang. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3198779/has-chinese-born-professor-discovered-big-piece-150-year-old-maths-puzzle

If successful, this would be remarkable for a 67-year-old mathematician. However, it won’t be the first time for Zhang to solve a difficult problem later in life. Nine years ago, he shocked the world with his work of the twin-prime conjecture. While he didn’t prove the twin prime conjecture, he did prove there exists a limit below which (at the time it was 70 million) there must be an infinite number of primes separated by that a specific gap size, N. Since then, using Zhang’s techniques, the limit for that minimum gap size has been dropped from 70 million to a few hundred. If mathematicians could bring this limit down to 2, it would prove the twin prime conjecture.

August 20, 2023 Update: New York Post Article - Riemann hypothesis: Unsolved math problem worth $1 million (nypost.com).

Multiple Dimensions of Time - Part 2

 

(Graphic: Kalash on Iconfinder)

In a recent post, I explored how different authors and physicists have considered the possibility of multiple dimensions of time. Nature just published an article, Dynamical topological phase realized in a trapped-ion quantum simulator | Nature, in which an experiment using laser-emitted pulses sent in a Fibonacci sequence at 10 ytterbium qubits made the system behave as if there are two distinct directions of time. 

Additional links regarding this experiment:

Scientists Fed the Fibonacci Sequence Into a Quantum Computer and Something Strange Happened (futurism.com)

Physicists Got a Quantum Computer to Work by Blasting It With the Fibonacci Sequence (gizmodo.com)

Gunther Kletetschka, physicist - proposes that time has three dimensions and space is only its consequence - this theory could forever change the way we understand the universe https://share.google/wMBNWsoH2nVpGBByO

Readers of this Blog Earned $837 Risk Free

 

(Graphic: Laura Reen on Iconfinder)

Last year, this blog suggested buying United States I Bonds as way to protect savings from inflation. The I Bond series pays interest rates adjusted twice yearly for inflation. Last November, the interest rate was set at 7.12% and in April this year, the rate was adjusted to a 40-year high of 9.62%. Readers who took the advice of this blog and bought the maximum allowed amount of $10,000 earned $837 over the past year. Next month, the rate will be adjusted again. It is anticipated that it will likely be 2 – 3 % lower than the 9.62% rate I Bonds have been earning since April.

 Individual - Buying Series I Savings Bonds (treasurydirect.gov)

For information on the rates, Go to: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/research/indepth/ibonds/res_ibonds.htm#irate

If you don't have an account already, set one up here: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/RS/UN-AccountCreate.do