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

Solving the 'Four-Color Problem' of Map Making

  • Download
  • <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.

Copyright © 2005 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.