What was the first math problem that we needed a computer to solve?
“In the 1970s, a remarkable thing was done; a computer was used to solve a math problem. This, in and of itself, was not remarkable. The difference engine could do it. But this problem was the first one that would probably remain unsolved if it weren’t for computers. Find out about the Four-Color Theorem, and why it needed to be turned over to the machines.” Read more…
I remember reading about this proof in Scientific American when it first came out! —drego
(source: Mathematics Association of America, via io9)
