four-color problem
[ fawr-kuhl-er, fohr- ]
/ ˈfɔrˈkʌl ər, ˈfoʊr- /
noun Mathematics.
the problem, solved in 1976, of proving the theorem that any geographic map can be colored using only four colors so that no connected countries with a common boundary are colored the same color.
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Nearby words
four-banger, four-by-four, four-by-two, four-channel, four-color, four-color problem, four-color process, four-colour, four-corners, four-cycle, four-deal bridge
Origin of four-color problem
First recorded in 1875–80
Also called four-color theorem.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019