Solving the 'Four-Color Problem' of Map Making NPR's Jacki Lyden talks with Weekend Edition Saturday math guy Keith Devlin about a recently solved mathematical puzzle -- the "Four-Color Problem." A computer-generated proof shows that any map -- real or theoretical -- can be colored using only four colors.

Solving the 'Four-Color Problem' of Map Making

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Solving the 'Four-Color Problem' of Map Making

Research News

Solving the 'Four-Color Problem' of Map Making

January 1, 200512:00 AM ET

Heard on Weekend Edition Saturday

Jacki Lyden

Solving the 'Four-Color Problem' of Map Making

Listen

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Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/4254287/4254288" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

NPR's Jacki Lyden talks with Weekend Edition Saturday math guy Keith Devlin about a recently solved mathematical puzzle — the "Four-Color Problem." A computer-generated proof shows that any map — real or theoretical — can be colored using only four colors.