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
Some outer moons hide liquid oceans beneath thick ice, and possibly conditions that could support life. Getting real data from beneath that ice remains a major unsolved engineering and mission challenge.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
beneath
moons
don
fully
understand
lies
icy
surfaces
like
europa
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fast radio bursts flash briefly and then vanish, and we still don't fully understand what causes them. Some theories point to exotic stars, but no explanation is fully confirmed yet.
science-space
global-unspecified
don
explanation
radio
have
full
strange
repeating
signals
detected
deep
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematics-logic
determine
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Low gravity and different light conditions slow plant growth and change nutrient uptake in ways we don't fully understand yet. Solving this is essential for any long-duration space mission that needs fresh food.
science-space
global-unspecified
space
grow
plants
same
yield
speed
earth
low
gravity
different
whether
philosophy-ethics
fully
mathematics-logic
haven
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This mismatch is part of the evidence for dark matter, but the details of how it shapes galaxy rotation are still not fully worked out. A better model would sharpen our understanding of galaxy formation.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
matter
haven
explained
some
galaxies
rotate
ways
don
match
visible
whether
know
mathematics-logic
resolved
determine
fully
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Earth's magnetic field protects us from solar radiation, but the dynamo process that generates it deep underground is still only partly understood. This matters for predicting how long that protection will last.
climate-environment
global-unspecified
magnetic
earth
don
fully
understand
fields
form
behave
inside
planets
whether
philosophy-ethics
science-space
know
mathematics-logic
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
We understand the general physics of dying stars, but the precise trigger moment inside a collapsing star remains difficult to observe and model. Solving this would sharpen predictions about stellar life cycles across the universe.
science-space
global-unspecified
explain
exact
mechanism
triggers
supernova
real
time
understand
general
physics
whether
mathematics-logic
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This conjecture about the zeros of a specific complex function would, if proven, tighten our understanding of how primes are distributed among all integers. It's considered one of the most important unsolved problems in mathematics.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
proven
haven
riemann
hypothesis
predicts
exactly
building
blocks
prime
numbers
whether
know
every
possible
mathematical
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Gödel's incompleteness theorems already showed some truths escape any fixed formal system, but the full boundary between provable and unprovable truths remains an active area of exploration. This shapes how we understand the limits of formal reasoning itself.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
system
don
know
every
mathematical
statement
seems
true
eventually
proven
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
possible
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This weaker cousin of Goldbach's Conjecture illustrates how even modest-sounding claims about primes can remain unproven for centuries. It highlights how little we still understand about the raw arithmetic of prime numbers.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
prime
even
numbers
don
know
whether
every
sufficiently
large
number
haven
possible
philosophy-ethics
mathematical
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Classifying all finite simple groups was a monumental achievement, but fully understanding how all groups relate to and build from these simple pieces remains an ongoing task. This shapes our foundational understanding of symmetry itself.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
every
groups
finite
don
know
whether
group
understood
piece
some
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
possible
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This boolean satisfiability problem is central to computer science, and no efficient general method is known for solving every possible case quickly. It remains a benchmark problem for understanding computational complexity.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
haven
resolved
efficiently
determine
any
given
set
logical
statements
whether
know
philosophy-ethics
possible
every
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This problem, part of a broader family of questions in combinatorial geometry, has known bounds but no exact general formula for every configuration. Solving it would refine our understanding of how simple geometric constraints shape complex arrangements.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
exact
haven
determined
smallest
number
unit
distances
must
repeat
among
whether
know
possible
every
resolved
philosophy-ethics
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Graph theory offers many partial answers about guaranteed patterns within large networks, but a fully general and complete theory covering every possible network structure remains incomplete. This affects our understanding of everything from social networks to biological systems.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
every
network
haven
determined
whether
sufficiently
complex
connections
must
always
possible
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Gödel's theorems already limit what's possible here for sufficiently powerful systems, but the full landscape of alternative systems and their limitations remains an active and unresolved area of mathematical logic. This continues to shape our understanding of the foundations of mathematics itself.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
possible
mathematical
haven
determined
whether
build
truly
complete
consistent
system
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
every
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This long-standing conjecture claims there's always at least one prime number between any two consecutive perfect squares, and while verified extensively by computer, no general proof exists. Solving it would sharpen our understanding of prime distribution.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
there
conjecture
always
between
consecutive
perfect
squares
don
know
whether
haven
possible
every
philosophy-ethics
resolved
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Random graph theory offers probabilistic guarantees for many structures, but proving certainty, rather than high likelihood, for every possible case remains an unresolved and active research area. This affects our understanding of networks in biology, technology, and social systems.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
every
haven
resolved
whether
sufficiently
large
randomly
generated
network
must
philosophy-ethics
know
possible
mathematical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some extremal problems in combinatorics have only been resolved through massive computational brute force, without a more elegant general proof explaining why the answer must be exactly what it is. This unresolved gap raises questions about the nature of mathematical understanding itself.
mathematics-logic
global-unspecified
possible
resolved
mathematical
haven
whether
prove
exact
largest
size
certain
know
philosophy-ethics
every
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Genuine altruism seems to require giving without expectation, yet human relationships often naturally involve some sense of reciprocal obligation. This unresolved tension complicates our understanding of charity, friendship, and generosity.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
generosity
don
know
fair
expect
gratitude
those
help
true
resolved
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
ethical
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Actively seeking out disagreement can strengthen understanding and reduce bias, but there's no clear consensus on whether this is a genuine moral obligation or simply a personal virtue. This unresolved question touches on intellectual humility and the ethics of belief.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
whether
obligation
out
haven
resolved
humans
have
any
seek
uncomfortable
know
mathematics-logic
determine
possible
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some argue refusing to forgive certain wrongs preserves a person's dignity and sense of justice, while others see prolonged resentment as ultimately corrosive rather than protective. This unresolved tension shapes how we understand forgiveness and self-respect.
philosophy-ethics
global-unspecified
self-respect
rather
unresolved
haven
resolved
whether
ethical
hold
onto
grudges
know
determine
mathematics-logic
possible