In science and mathematics, not yet solved problem
Inscience andmathematics , anopen problem or anopen question is a known problem which can be accurately stated, and which is assumed to have an objective and verifiable solution, but which has not yet been solved (i.e., no solution for it is known).
In thehistory of science , some of these supposed open problems were "solved" by means of showing that they were not well-defined. In mathematics, many open problems are concerned with the question of whether a certain definition is or is not consistent.
Two notable examples inmathematics that have been solved andclosed by researchers in the late twentieth century areFermat's Last Theorem [ 1] four-color theorem .[ 2] [ 3] Poincaré conjecture .
Open problems exist in all scientific fields. For example, one of the most important open problems in biochemistry is theprotein structure prediction problem[ 4] [ 5] protein 's structure from its sequence. In 2024,David Baker andDemis Hassabis were awarded theNobel Prize in Chemistry [ 6]
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