Solving the perplexing mathematicians' problem of the spectre

Published on May 15, 2025

In 2023, a UK maths enthusiast called David Smith discovered a shape that had one very specialproperty.Using copies of this shape, nicknamed “the spectre,” one can cover a flat surface forever-without the pattern repeating itself. This special property is called aperiodicity, and David’s discovery solved a problem that had been perplexing mathematicians for over sixty years. James Grime.
First published on Mon, 15 Apr 2024 as Solving the perplexing mathematicians' problem of the spectre. To find out more visit The Open University's Openlearn website. Copyright 2025

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