Bin packing problems are a class of NP-hard combinatorial optimisation challenges with wide-ranging applications in logistics, manufacturing, cloud computing and scheduling. The fundamental task is to ...

Right now, quantum computers are small and error-prone compared to where they’ll likely be in a few years. Even within those limitations, however, there have been regular claims that the hardware can ...

Graph cover problems form a critical area within discrete optimisation and theoretical computer science, addressing the challenge of selecting subsets of vertices (or edges) that satisfy predetermined ...

In 1994, a mathematician figured out how to make a quantum computer do something that no ordinary classical computer could. The work revealed that, in principle, a machine based on the rules of ...

Can we ever really trust algorithms to make decisions for us? Previous research has proved these programs can reinforce society’s harmful biases, but the problems go beyond that. A new study shows how ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. If you want to solve a tricky problem, it often helps to get organized. You might, for example, break the problem into pieces and tackle ...