The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Computer scientists often deal with abstract problems that are hard to comprehend, but an exciting new algorithm matters to anyone who ...

The library sorting problem is used across computer science for organizing far more than just books. A new solution is less than a page-width away from the theoretical ideal. Computer scientists often ...

Efficient algorithms can enhance problem-solving in many cognitive domains but can be difficult to discover and use. For example, classical studies of seriation suggest that children struggle to apply ...