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Quanta Magazine ·For the curious

Two Researchers Are Rebuilding Mathematics From the Ground Up

by Konstantin Kakaes

Published 2026-05-20 14:52:19+00:00

What happens to the shape of mathematics when you decide to rebuild its foundation from dust?

0:00 / 28:52 · Narrator female

Context

Mathematics is often imagined as a fixed, immutable landscape, but as this piece illustrates, the very foundations we build upon are sometimes better suited for a renovation. Peter Scholze and Dustin Clausen are currently attempting to replace the century-old bedrock of topological spaces with something more flexible: condensed sets. It is a fascinating look at how changing the language of a field can suddenly make the impossible seem intuitive. Whether you are a math enthusiast or just enjoy watching brilliant minds tinker with the architecture of reality, this is a beautiful reminder that even the most established truths are open to being reimagined.

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