After 65 Years, Supercomputers Finally Solve This Unsolvable Math Problem (2024)

After 65 Years, Supercomputers Finally Solve This Unsolvable Math Problem (1)
  • Two more answers for a complex math problem have been found.
  • Called the "summing of three cubes," the challenge is to find x, y, and z.
  • It took over a million computing hours to find the solution.

For decades, a math puzzle has stumped the smartest mathematicians in the world. x3+y3+z3=k, with k being all the numbers from one to 100, is a Diophantine equation that's sometimes known as "summing of three cubes."

When there are two or more unknowns, as is the case here, only the integers are studied. The trick is finding integers that work for all equations, or the numbers for x, y, and z that will all equal k. Over the years, scientists have solved for nearly every integer between 0 and 100. The last two that remained were 33 and 42.

Here's a Numberphile video explaining why this problem has proved to be so tricky:

Earlier this year, Andrew Booker of the University of Bristol spent weeks with a supercomputer to finally arrive at a solution for 33. But 42, which by coincidence is a well-known number in pop culture, proved to be much more difficult.

So Booker turned to MIT math professor Andrew Sutherland, and Sutherland in turn enlisted the help of Charity Engine, which utilizes idle, unused computing power from over 500,000 home PCs to create a crowdsourced and environmentally conscious supercomputer.

The answers took over a million hours to compute. Without further ado, they are:

X = -80538738812075974, Y = 80435758145817515, and Z = 12602123297335631.

Well, obviously.

"I feel relieved," Booker says of breaking the 65-year old puzzle first set down at Cambridge in a press statement. "In this game it's impossible to be sure that you'll find something. It's a bit like trying to predict earthquakes, in that we have only rough probabilities to go by. So, we might find what we're looking for with a few months of searching, or it might be that the solution isn't found for another century."

After 65 Years, Supercomputers Finally Solve This Unsolvable Math Problem (3)

David Grossman

David Grossman is a staff writer for PopularMechanics.com. He's previously written for The Verge, Rolling Stone, The New Republic and several other publications. He's based out of Brooklyn.

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After 65 Years, Supercomputers Finally Solve This Unsolvable Math Problem (2024)

FAQs

What is the answer for x3, y3, z3, k? ›

Expert-Verified Answer

x3+y3+z3=k, with k being all the numbers from one to 100, is a Diophantine equation that's sometimes known as "summing of three cubes." ∴ The required result will be 3xyz. Step-by-step explanation: Hope the answe 3xyz helps to answer your given question.

What is the unsolvable math problem 3x 1? ›

The 3x + 1 problem, is a math problem that has baffled mathematicians for over 50 years. It's easy to explain: take any positive number, if it's even, divide it by 2; if it's odd, multiply it by 3 and add 1. Repeat this process with the resulting number, and the conjecture says that you will eventually reach 1.

What is the most unsolvable math problem? ›

1. Riemann Hypothesis. The Riemann Hypothesis, proposed by Bernhard Riemann in 1859, is a central problem in number theory, and discusses the distribution of prime numbers. The hypothesis focuses on the zeros of the Riemann zeta function.

What are the 7 hardest math problems? ›

Contents
  • 1 The Riemann Hypothesis. 1.1 Clay description.
  • 2 The Yang-Mills Equations.
  • 3 The P vs. NP Problem. 3.1 Clay description.
  • 4 The Navier–Stokes equations. 4.1 Clay description.
  • 5 The Hodge Conjecture.
  • 6 The Poincaré Conjecture. 6.1 Clay description.
  • 7 Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture.

What is the hardest math equation of all time? ›

The equation x3+y3+z3=k is known as the sum of cubes problem. While seemingly straightforward, the equation becomes exponentially difficult to solve when framed as a “Diophantine equation” — a problem that stipulates that, for any value of k, the values for x, y, and z must each be whole numbers.

What is the formula for x3 y3 z3 3xyz? ›

Using the identity and proof: x^3+y^3+z^3-3xyz=(x+y+z)(x^2+y^2+z^2-xy-yz-zx).

What is the 1 hardest math problem? ›

10 World's Hardest Math Problems With Solutions and Examples That Will Blow Your Mind
  • The Four Color Theorem.
  • Fermat's Last Theorem.
  • The Monty Hall Problem.
  • The Travelling Salesman Problem.
  • The Twin Prime Conjecture.
  • The Poincaré Conjecture.
  • The Goldbach Conjecture.
  • The Riemann Hypothesis.
Aug 31, 2023

Has 3x-1 ever been solved? ›

In 1995, Franco and Pom-erance proved that the Crandall conjecture about the aX + 1 problem is correct for almost all positive odd numbers a > 3, under the definition of asymptotic density. However, both of the 3X + 1 problem and Crandall conjecture have not been solved yet.

What are the 7 unsolvable equations? ›

Clay “to increase and disseminate mathematical knowledge.” The seven problems, which were announced in 2000, are the Riemann hypothesis, P versus NP problem, Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture, Hodge conjecture, Navier-Stokes equation, Yang-Mills theory, and Poincaré conjecture.

What is the easiest math in college? ›

Easiest Math Class in College?
  1. College Algebra: This class covers basic algebra topics and mainly reviews concepts you've likely learned in high school algebra courses. ...
  2. Statistics: Introductory statistics courses usually don't require much advanced math, and they focus on concepts that apply to various disciplines.
Feb 18, 2024

Is calculus the hardest math? ›

Calculus is widely regarded as a very hard math class, and with good reason. The concepts take you far beyond the comfortable realms of algebra and geometry that you've explored in previous courses. Calculus asks you to think in ways that are more abstract, requiring more imagination.

What is the 1 million-dollar math problem? ›

The first million-dollar maths puzzle is called the Riemann Hypothesis. First proposed by Bernhard Riemann in 1859 it offers valuable insights into prime numbers but it is based on an unexplored mathematical landscape. If you can show that its mathematical path will always lie true, $1m (£600,000) is all yours.

What is the most confusing math problem? ›

The Riemann Hypothesis holds one of the seven unsolved problems known as the Millennium Prize Problems, each carrying a million-dollar prize for a correct solution. Its inclusion in this prestigious list further emphasizes its status as an unparalleled mathematical challenge.

What are the 7 millionaire problems? ›

The seven problems are the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture, the Hodge Conjecture, the Navier-Stokes Equations, P versus NP, the Poincaré Conjecture, the Riemann Hypothesis, and the Yang-Mills Theory. In 2003, the Poincaré Conjecture was proven by Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman.

What does x3, y3, z3, k mean? ›

The equation is called Diophantine equation and is also referred to as the summing of three cubes. It can be written as x3+y3+z3=k. The equation is called Diophantine equation and is also referred to as the summing of three cubes.

What is the solution to the equation? ›

A solution to an equation is a value of a variable that makes a true statement when substituted into the equation. The process of finding the solution to an equation is called solving the equation. To find the solution to an equation means to find the value of the variable that makes the equation true.

What's the hardest math? ›

10 World's Hardest Math Problems With Solutions and Examples That Will Blow Your Mind
  • The Four Color Theorem.
  • Fermat's Last Theorem.
  • The Monty Hall Problem.
  • The Travelling Salesman Problem.
  • The Twin Prime Conjecture.
  • The Poincaré Conjecture.
  • The Goldbach Conjecture.
  • The Riemann Hypothesis.
Aug 31, 2023

What is the hardest physics equation? ›

Answer to the question (What is the hardest physics equation?): * The hardest general equation to arrive at is perhaps the relativistic mass-energy equation E = {m_0} c^2/ \sqrt{1 - {v^2}/{c^2}} . * The hardest specific equations to solve are perhaps the nonlinear Schrodinger equations or nonlinear solito…

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