We don't know whether it's mathematically possible to create a completely fair voting system that satisfies every reasonable fairness criterion simultaneously.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Arrow's Impossibility Theorem proved certain fairness conditions can't all hold at once for common voting systems, but the full landscape of tradeoffs across all possible systems remains an active research area. This has real implications for the design of democratic institutions.
possible
voting
fairness
know
whether
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01262
Title: We don't know whether it's mathematically possible to create a completely fair voting system that satisfies every reasonable fairness criterion simultaneously.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1262
We still haven't resolved whether every infinite set of numbers must have a size that matches one of the specific mathematical infinities we've already identified.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
The Continuum Hypothesis asks whether there's a size of infinity strictly between the countable and uncountable, and it has been shown to be independent of standard mathematical axioms. This unresolved question touches the very foundation of set theory.
whether
set
size
mathematical
haven
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01263
Title: We still haven't resolved whether every infinite set of numbers must have a size that matches one of the specific mathematical infinities we've already identified.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1263
We haven't proven whether it's always possible to divide a cake fairly among any number of people, each with completely different preferences, using a finite number of straight cuts.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fair division problems become extremely complex once individual preferences differ, and general efficient solutions for many people remain incompletely understood. This connects mathematics to real-world negotiation and resource allocation.
number
people
preferences
haven
proven
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01264
Title: We haven't proven whether it's always possible to divide a cake fairly among any number of people, each with completely different preferences, using a finite number of straight cuts.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1264
We don't know whether the digits of most well-known mathematical constants, like Euler's number, ever settle into any predictable long-term statistical pattern.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Despite extensive computation, no proof confirms whether these digits behave truly randomly forever or eventually reveal some hidden structure. This remains an open question bridging number theory and statistics.
whether
digits
number
know
well
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01265
Title: We don't know whether the digits of most well-known mathematical constants, like Euler's number, ever settle into any predictable long-term statistical pattern.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1265
We still haven't determined the exact smallest number of unit distances that must repeat among any large set of points drawn on a plane.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This problem, part of a broader family of questions in combinatorial geometry, has known bounds but no exact general formula for every configuration. Solving it would refine our understanding of how simple geometric constraints shape complex arrangements.
exact
haven
determined
smallest
number
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01266
Title: We still haven't determined the exact smallest number of unit distances that must repeat among any large set of points drawn on a plane.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1266
We haven't resolved whether every possible tangle of a rope, when idealized mathematically, can be untangled using a provably minimal number of moves.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Knot theory offers tools for identifying and classifying tangles, but calculating a guaranteed minimal ontangling path for every possible knot remains computationally unresolved. This connects abstract mathematics to physical intuition about rope and cords.
every
possible
rope
minimal
haven
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01267
Title: We haven't resolved whether every possible tangle of a rope, when idealized mathematically, can be untangled using a provably minimal number of moves.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1267
We don't know whether every mathematical proof can, in principle, be shortened to a version that a human could fully verify without computer assistance.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some modern proofs rely heavily on computer verification because they're too long or complex for any person to check by hand, raising open questions about whether shorter, purely human-verifiable proofs must always exist. This unresolved tension touches both mathematics and epistemology.
whether
human
computer
know
every
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01268
Title: We don't know whether every mathematical proof can, in principle, be shortened to a version that a human could fully verify without computer assistance.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1268
We still haven't proven whether there are infinitely many prime numbers that remain prime when you reverse the order of their digits.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Palindromic and reversible primes show interesting patterns, but whether infinitely many exist across all number bases remains unconfirmed. This is one of many number-theoretic curiosities still lacking rigorous proof.
many
prime
whether
infinitely
haven
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01269
Title: We still haven't proven whether there are infinitely many prime numbers that remain prime when you reverse the order of their digits.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1269
We haven't resolved the exact minimum number of moves required to solve the hardest possible configuration of many classic sliding puzzles.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
While specific puzzle sizes have been fully solved computationally, generalizing the worst-case difficulty formula across all puzzle sizes remains an open combinatorial question. This links recreational mathematics with formal complexity theory.
haven
resolved
exact
minimum
number
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01270
Title: We haven't resolved the exact minimum number of moves required to solve the hardest possible configuration of many classic sliding puzzles.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1270
We don't know whether it's possible to build a computer program that can always determine, for any given program, whether it will eventually stop running.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This is the famous Halting Problem, proven impossible to solve in full generality, yet many partial and practical questions around predicting program behavior remain actively studied. This shapes the theoretical limits of what computers can ever determine about themselves.
program
whether
determine
know
possible
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01271
Title: We don't know whether it's possible to build a computer program that can always determine, for any given program, whether it will eventually stop running.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1271
We still haven't proven whether every sufficiently large prime number can be written as the sum of three smaller prime numbers in a predictable, structured way.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Related conjectures about how primes combine remain only partially proven for specific ranges, without a fully general confirmed pattern. This connects to broader unresolved questions about the additive structure of prime numbers.
prime
proven
numbers
haven
whether
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01272
Title: We still haven't proven whether every sufficiently large prime number can be written as the sum of three smaller prime numbers in a predictable, structured way.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1272
We haven't determined whether there's an efficient way to solve every instance of the traveling salesman problem exactly, rather than through approximation.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Finding the shortest possible route through many locations becomes exponentially harder as the number of locations grows, and no efficient exact solution is known for all cases. This unresolved question sits at the heart of computational optimization theory.
efficient
through
haven
determined
whether
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01273
Title: We haven't determined whether there's an efficient way to solve every instance of the traveling salesman problem exactly, rather than through approximation.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1273
We don't know whether every regular geometric tiling pattern that appears possible in theory can actually be physically realized without gaps or overlaps.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some tiling patterns work perfectly in abstract mathematical space but haven't been proven physically constructible under all real-world constraints. This connects pure geometry with material and structural engineering.
tiling
physically
know
whether
every
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01274
Title: We don't know whether every regular geometric tiling pattern that appears possible in theory can actually be physically realized without gaps or overlaps.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1274
We still haven't resolved whether it's possible to always predict the long-term behavior of any chaotic mathematical system using a finite set of rules.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Chaotic systems are famously sensitive to initial conditions, and whether their long-term patterns can ever be fully captured by simpler predictive rules remains an unresolved question in dynamical systems theory. This has real implications for weather prediction and other complex natural systems.
whether
long
term
chaotic
rules
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01275
Title: We still haven't resolved whether it's possible to always predict the long-term behavior of any chaotic mathematical system using a finite set of rules.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1275
We haven't proven whether the number of distinct ways to partition any given number into smaller whole numbers follows a fully understood, predictable growth pattern.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Partition numbers grow in a complex, only partially understood way, and while excellent approximations exist, a complete exact predictive formula for all cases remains elusive. This continues to be an active area within combinatorics and number theory.
number
partition
numbers
understood
haven
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01276
Title: We haven't proven whether the number of distinct ways to partition any given number into smaller whole numbers follows a fully understood, predictable growth pattern.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1276
We don't know whether every finite mathematical structure with a certain kind of internal symmetry must always contain a smaller, simpler symmetric structure within it.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Ramsey-type problems ask whether order must always emerge within sufficiently large or complex systems, and while some cases are proven, the general boundaries remain incompletely mapped. This connects deeply to combinatorics and the philosophy of mathematical order.
structure
whether
mathematical
must
always
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01277
Title: We don't know whether every finite mathematical structure with a certain kind of internal symmetry must always contain a smaller, simpler symmetric structure within it.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1277
We still haven't resolved whether it's possible to fully simulate any physical system using a finite, exact mathematical model without any approximation.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even our best physical models rely on approximations or idealized assumptions, and whether a truly complete and exact mathematical simulation is even theoretically possible remains unresolved. This touches on the deep relationship between mathematics and the physical world.
any
physical
whether
possible
exact
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01278
Title: We still haven't resolved whether it's possible to fully simulate any physical system using a finite, exact mathematical model without any approximation.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1278
We haven't determined whether every sufficiently complex network of connections must always contain a smaller, predictable pattern regardless of how it's built.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Graph theory offers many partial answers about guaranteed patterns within large networks, but a fully general and complete theory covering every possible network structure remains incomplete. This affects our understanding of everything from social networks to biological systems.
every
network
haven
determined
whether
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01279
Title: We haven't determined whether every sufficiently complex network of connections must always contain a smaller, predictable pattern regardless of how it's built.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1279
We don't know whether there's a maximum theoretical limit to how efficiently any sorting or searching algorithm can ever perform, regardless of future computing advances.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some lower bounds on computational efficiency are proven for specific tasks, but a fully unified theory covering every possible algorithmic problem remains unresolved. This unresolved question shapes the outer limits of computer science.
know
whether
there
maximum
theoretical
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01280
Title: We don't know whether there's a maximum theoretical limit to how efficiently any sorting or searching algorithm can ever perform, regardless of future computing advances.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1280
We still haven't proven whether every possible three-dimensional knot can be distinguished from every other knot using only a finite, computable set of properties.
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
While many invariants help distinguish specific knots, no single finite and fully general method has been proven to work for absolutely every possible pair of knots. This remains a central unresolved question in the mathematical study of knots.
every
knot
proven
possible
finite
mathematics-logic
Citation ID: WS01281
Title: We still haven't proven whether every possible three-dimensional knot can be distinguished from every other knot using only a finite, computable set of properties.
URL: https://worldsolve.org/index.php?api=problem&id=1281