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Mathematics

We could solve the biggest problem in maths in the next decade

By Jacob Aron

10 April 2019

P = NP?

P is not NP? That is the question

One of the biggest open problems in mathematics may be solved within the next decade, according to a poll of computer scientists. A solution to the so-called P versus NP problem is worth $1 million and could have a profound effect on computing, and perhaps even the entire world.

The problem is a question about how long algorithms take to run and whether some hard mathematical problems are actually easy to solve.

P and NP both represent groups of mathematical problems, but it isn’t known if these groups are actually identical.

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