60-year-old maths problem partly solved by amateur

Maverick biologist Aubrey de Grey has cracked the Hadwiger-Nelson problem which has flummoxed mathematicians worldwide since 1950

An amateur mathematician has made the first breakthrough in more than 60 years towards solving a well-known maths problem.

Aubrey de Grey, who is more widely known as a maverick biologist intent on extending the human lifespan, has taken the academic world by surprise after announcing a new solution to the so-called Hadwiger-Nelson problem.