The Millennium Problems: The Seven Greatest Unsolved Mathematical Puzzles of our Time

In 2000, the Clay Foundation of Cambridge, Massachussetts, announced a historic competition: Whoever could solve any of seven extraordinarily difficult mathematical problems, and have the solution acknowledged as correct by the experts, would receive $1 million in prize money. There was some precedent for doing this: In 1900 David Hilbert, one of the greatest mathematicians of his day, proposed 23 problems, now known as the Hilbert problems, that set much of the agenda for mathematics in the 20th century. The Millennium Problems are likely to acquire similar stature, and their solution (or lack of one) will play a strong role in determining the course of mathematics in the current century. They encompass many of the most fascinating areas of pure and applied mathematics, from topology and number theory to particle physics, cryptography, computing and even aircraft design. Keith Devlin, renowned expositor of mathematics, tells here what the seven problems are, how they came about, and what they mean for math and science.