New Number Systems Point Geometry Problem Toward a Real Solution - Quanta Magazine

The Kakeya conjecture predicts how much room you need to point a line in every direction. In one number system after another — with one important exception — mathematicians have been proving it true.

In 2008, Dvir solved the Kakeya conjecture for finite number systems in which the modulus is a prime number, which is the particular case Wolff had in mind in 1996. These number systems, called finit… [+3773 chars]

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