Hilbert’s 12th problem asked for novel analogues of the roots of unity, the building blocks for certain number systems. Now, over 100 years later, two mathematicians have produced them. Problems in ...

We study the distribution of the complex roots of random polynomials of degree n with i.i.d. coefficients. Using techniques related to Rice's treatment of the real roots question, we derive, under ...

The Monthly publishes articles, as well as notes and other features, about mathematics and the profession. Its readers span a broad spectrum of mathematical interests, and include professional ...