Nine Mathematical Challenges: An Elucidation

This volume stems from the Linde Hall Inaugural Math Symposium, held from February 22-24, 2019, at California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California.

The content isolates and discusses nine mathematical problems, or sets of problems, in a deep way, but starting from scratch. Included among them are the well-known problems of the classification of finite groups, the Navier-Stokes equations, the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture, and the continuum hypothesis. The other five problems, also of substantial importance, concern the Lieb-Thirring inequalities, the equidistribution problems in number theory, surface bundles, ramification in covers and curves, and the gap and type problems in Fourier analysis. The problems are explained succinctly, with a discussion of what is known and an elucidation of the outstanding issues. An attempt is made to appeal to a wide audience, both in terms of the field of expertise and the level of the reader.