{
  "id": 18918970,
  "title": "A 55-Year-Old Math Problem Was Solved—This Time by Humans",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/a-55-year-old-math-problem-was-solved-this-time-by-humans-18918970",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-08T10:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Wired Science",
    "slug": "wired-science",
    "url": "https://www.wired.com/story/a-55-year-old-math-problem-was-solved-this-time-by-humans/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 1971, mathematician Paul Erdos posed a perplexing question that has persisted for decades. Consider any set of unique integers, excluding zero, and ask if it's always possible to rearrange them in such a way that the sum of the first two numbers, then the first three, then the first four, and so on, produces distinct partial sums. This problem, which Erdos believed might have been inspired by the rhythm of juggling, remains unsolved. However, in 2026, a team of young mathematicians finally cracked the code.\n\nThe solution, spanning four papers, was published in February 2026. The team, led by Lisa Sauermann and Huy Tuan Pham, found that the answer to Erdos' conjecture hinges on the size of the set of numbers compared to a prime number p. If the set includes almost all possible numbers up to p, Müyesser and his former adviser Alexey Pokrovskiy found that starting with a random ordering often leads to a solution, even if explicitly describing it is difficult.\n\nBut if the set is much smaller than p, such as 100 numbers to a prime number of 1 billion, Kravitz and Bedert managed to solve the conjecture. Interestingly, the team was comprised of individuals from different sections of combinatorics, who usually don't collaborate, reflecting the power of collaboration and the probabilistic methods in solving this complex mathematical puzzle.",
  "summary": "A group of young mathematicians found the solution to the long unanswered conjecture, first inspired by juggling, through randomness and friendship.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}