Repository of problems worth solving
World Solve is a public institutional repository for identifying real unresolved problems across science, society, health, governance, economics, and local systems. Each entry is intended to be citable, inspectable, and actionable.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Gödel's incompleteness theorems showed that some mathematical systems can't prove their own consistency from within. Whether our foundational systems are truly contradiction-free remains, in a strict sense, unproven.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
whether
haven
proven
mathematics
entirely
free
hidden
contradictions
systems
del
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
possible
every
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many real-world problems, like planning delivery routes or scheduling, become exponentially harder to solve exactly as they grow in size. Faster methods for these problems could save enormous time and resources across industries.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
solve
don
have
efficient
way
certain
optimization
scale
real-world
like
whether
philosophy-ethics
determine
resolved
agreed
prevent
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some compression methods shrink files perfectly for certain data but fail badly on others, and no universal, lossless method works equally well for everything. Solving this could make data storage and transmission dramatically more efficient.
society-governance
global-unspecified
data
haven
solved
compress
information
any
loss
all
types
some
technology-computing
whether
philosophy-ethics
systems
mathematics-logic
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Classical logic struggles with situations involving incomplete information or conflicting evidence, both common in the real world. A more flexible logical system could improve everything from AI reasoning to legal decision-making.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
logical
don
have
unified
framework
handling
uncertainty
contradiction
together
classical
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Small errors in chaotic systems like weather or turbulence grow so fast that long-term predictions quickly become unreliable. A better mathematical handle on chaos could improve forecasting in countless fields.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
chaotic
systems
haven
found
way
fully
model
accurately
over
long
whether
philosophy-ethics
society-governance
technology-computing
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Many real-world systems, from weather to economics, are described by nonlinear equations that resist neat, general solutions. Better methods here would improve prediction across nearly every scientific field.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
general
nonlinear
equations
don
have
method
solve
all
types
real-world
society-governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
systems
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Known as Goldbach's Conjecture, this simple-sounding statement has been checked for enormous numbers without exception, but never formally proven true for all numbers. It remains one of the oldest unsolved problems in mathematics.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
haven
solved
whether
every
even
number
greater
sum
primes
numbers
know
possible
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Prime numbers appear to follow patterns at large scales but seem random up close, and mathematicians still lack a full explanation for this behavior. Understanding it better could improve encryption methods that rely on primes.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
prime
numbers
don
have
complete
theory
predicting
distributed
appear
follow
whether
know
haven
philosophy-ethics
every
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This century-old conjecture predicts a hidden pattern in how prime numbers are distributed, but nobody has ever proven it true. A proof would deepen our understanding of numbers in ways that ripple into cryptography and physics.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
numbers
proven
understanding
prime
haven
riemann
hypothesis
central
century-old
conjecture
know
whether
possible
every
mathematical
philosophy-ethics
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Known as the P versus NP problem, this asks whether problems whose solutions are easy to verify are also easy to find in the first place. Answering it would reshape computer science, cryptography, and optimization overnight.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
easy
whether
also
don
know
every
math
check
solve
known
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As AI systems increasingly influence what billions of people see, believe, and decide, someone is effectively choosing the values baked into those systems. There's no agreed process for who that someone should be, or how they should be held accountable.
society-governance
global-unspecified
decide
values
haven
settled
system
hold
systems
someone
increasingly
technology-computing
philosophy-ethics
whether
mathematics-logic
resolved
economics-resources
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Justice systems around the world vary wildly in how harshly they punish the same crimes, reflecting different beliefs about what punishment is actually for. Whether punishment should aim to rehabilitate, deter, or simply punish remains unresolved.
society-governance
global-unspecified
punishment
justice
don
agree
versus
revenge
punish
systems
around
world
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Different cultures, religions, and individuals define meaning and purpose in very different ways, with no way to prove one view more correct than another. This makes questions about how to live well deeply personal rather than settled.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
haven
found
universal
answer
meaningful
life
requires
different
cultures
religions
whether
resolved
determine
know
don
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Free expression is valued almost everywhere, but so is protection from harassment, incitement, and harmful misinformation, and these values often conflict directly. No universal line exists for where one right ends and the other begins.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
speech
free
don
agree
limits
cause
real
measurable
harm
expression
whether
determine
resolved
know
haven
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
As machines take over more jobs, some people may be unable to find meaningful paid work through no fault of their own. Whether society owes them support, and how much, remains a contested ethical and political question.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
people
work
haven
settled
societies
treat
cannot
due
automation
machines
whether
resolved
determine
know
mathematics-logic
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
If AI systems ever become capable of something like suffering, we would have created that suffering deliberately, and we don't have a moral framework ready for that possibility. This question is likely to become urgent faster than expected.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
have
suffering
don
capable
agreed
ethical
stance
creating
artificial
minds
whether
determine
resolved
way
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some countries and individuals consume vastly more resources than others, and there's no broadly accepted definition of what a fair share would even look like. This makes global cooperation on resource use difficult to justify to everyone involved.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
fair
resources
haven
found
shared
standard
counts
distribution
some
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
mathematics-logic
way
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Choices made now about climate, debt, and resource use will affect people who don't yet exist and have no voice in the decision. Philosophy hasn't settled how much weight their unheard interests should carry.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
don
have
made
agree
say
future
generations
decisions
today
choices
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
agreed
way
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Advances in medicine keep pushing life expectancy higher, but there's no consensus on whether radically extending life is actually good for individuals or society. This question becomes more urgent as anti-aging research advances.
health-biology
global-unspecified
life
whether
haven
settled
right
extend
human
indefinitely
advances
medicine
philosophy-ethics
know
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When an autonomous system makes a harmful choice, moral responsibility is hard to pin on any single party, the programmer, the company, or the AI itself. Ethics hasn't caught up with the reality of decisions made without direct human involvement.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
don
have
widely
accepted
framework
deserves
blame
causes
harm
autonomous
whether
resolved
determine
know
agreed
way
