ACM: The Status of the P Versus NP Problem

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As we solve larger and more complex problems with greater computational power and cleverer algorithms, the problems we cannot tackle begin to stand out. The theory of NP-completeness helps us understand these limitations and the P versus NP problem begins to loom large not just as an interesting theoretical question in computer science, but as a basic principle that permeates all the sciences.

So while we don't expect the P versus NP problem to be resolved in the near future, the question has driven research in a number of topics to help us understand, handle, and even take advantage of the hardness of various computational problems.

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- Lance Fortnow, http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2009/9/38904-the-status-of-the-p-versus-np-problem/fulltext

To read the rest of this article, visit the ACM article here.