(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Surprise: You can answer this question with modern algebra. Most folks who have been ...

Algorithms are increasingly prevalent in everything we do, from getting insurance to applying to jobs (if the algorithm doesn't pick your application from a big pile, good luck). While it may seem ...

Cathy O’Neil believes there is a dark side to numbers. A mathematician by training, she earned her doctorate at Harvard and went on to become a tenure-track professor at Barnard College. In 2007, ...

If you’re the parent of an elementary school-age child, chances are good (OK, about one in ten, although actual numbers are hard to pin down) that you’ve encountered Everyday Math. Chances are ...

Algebra often involves manipulating numbers or other objects using operations like addition and multiplication. Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty Images You scrambled up a Rubik’s cube, and now you want ...