List of unsolved problems in mathematics


Many mathematical problems have been stated but not yet solved. These problems come from many areas of mathematics, such as theoretical physics, computer science, algebra, analysis, combinatorics, algebraic, differential, discrete and Euclidean geometries, graph theory, group theory, model theory, number theory, set theory, Ramsey theory, dynamical systems, and partial differential equations. Some problems belong to more than one discipline and are studied using techniques from different areas. Prizes are often awarded for the solution to a long-standing problem, and some lists of unsolved problems, such as the Millennium Prize Problems, receive considerable attention.
This list is a composite of notable unsolved problems mentioned in previously published lists, including but not limited to lists considered authoritative, and the problems listed here vary widely in both difficulty and importance.

Notable lists

Various mathematicians and organizations have published and promoted lists of unsolved mathematical problems. In some cases, the lists have been associated with prizes for the discoverers of solutions.
ListNumber of
problems
Number unsolved
or incompletely solved
Proposed byProposed
in
Hilbert's problems2313David Hilbert1900
Landau's problems44Edmund Landau1912
Taniyama's problems36Yutaka Taniyama1955
Thurston's 24 questions242William Thurston1982
Smale's problems1814Stephen Smale1998
Millennium Prize Problems76Clay Mathematics Institute2000
Simon problems15< 12Barry Simon2000
DARPA's math challenges23DARPA2007
Erdős's problems> 1128680Paul ErdősOver six decades of Erdős' career, from the 1930s to 1990s

Millennium Prize Problems

Of the original seven Millennium Prize Problems listed by the Clay Mathematics Institute in 2000, six remain unsolved to date:
The seventh problem, the Poincaré conjecture, was solved by Grigori Perelman in 2003. However, a generalization called the smooth four-dimensional Poincaré conjecture—that is, whether a four-dimensional topological sphere can have two or more inequivalent smooth structures—is unsolved.

Notebooks

Unsolved problems

Algebra

Group theory

Representation theory

Analysis

Combinatorics

Dynamical systems

Games and puzzles

Combinatorial games

Games with imperfect information

Geometry

Algebraic geometry

Covering and packing

Differential geometry

Discrete geometry

Euclidean geometry

Graph theory

Algebraic graph theory

Games on graphs

Graph coloring and labeling

Graph drawing and embedding

Restriction of graph parameters

Subgraphs

Word-representation of graphs

Miscellaneous graph theory

Model theory and formal languages

Probability theory

Number theory

General

Additive number theory

Algebraic number theory

Analytic number theory

Arithmetic geometry

Computational number theory

Diophantine approximation and transcendental number theory

Diophantine equations

Prime numbers

Set theory

Note: The following conjectures are expressed in the first-order language of axiomatic set theory and, unless stated otherwise, are here taken to be over Zermelo-Frankel set theory, possibly with Choice. In particular, the conjecture's independence may not be open in set theories with a wider or conflicting class of models, such as the various constructive resp. non-wellfounded set theories, etc.

Topology

Problems solved since 1995

Algebra

Analysis

Combinatorics

Dynamical systems

Game theory

Geometry

21st century

20th century

Graph theory

Group theory

Number theory

21st century

20th century

Ramsey theory

Theoretical computer science

Topology

Uncategorised

2010s

2000s

Books discussing problems solved since 1995

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Books discussing unsolved problems

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