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OpenAI Reportedly Cracks 80-Year-Old Math Conjecture
OpenAI said the model found an infinite family of point arrangements that beat the classic grid approach, and external mathematicians verified the proof.
- On Wednesday, OpenAI announced its reasoning model disproved the unit distance problem, solving a famous geometry challenge first posed by Paul Erdős in 1946.
- For nearly 80 years, mathematicians believed square-grids offered the best solution to the unit distance problem; the model discovered an infinite family of point arrangements performing significantly better.
- Unlike specialized theorem-proving software, a general-purpose reasoning model generated the proof by connecting the problem to algebraic number theory using Golod-Shafarevich theory, tools rarely applied to geometry.
- Fields Medal winner Tim Gowers called the achievement a "milestone," while Thomas Bloom suggested the discovery reveals connections between deep number theory and other unsolved geometry problems.
- Researchers believe systems managing long reasoning chains could assist in biology, physics, and medicine, though the success follows previous inaccurate GPT-5 claims by former VP Kevil Weil.
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AI cracks 80-year-old mathematics challenge — researchers are astonished
The late Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős thought he had the last word on a geometry problem. Now an OpenAI chatbot has proved him wrong. The late Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős thought he had the last word on a geometry problem. Now an OpenAI chatbot has proved him wrong.
·United Kingdom
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OpenAI makes breakthrough in 80-year-old math problem with ‘ingenious ideas’
OpenAI claims its model solved a famous geometry problem that has eluded the world's greatest mathematicians for 80 years -- a breakthrough hailed as evidence of the bot’s creativity and "intuition."
·New York, United States
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NewScientistReposted by 
Los Angeles Weekly Times
Los Angeles Weekly TimesMathematicians stunned by AI's biggest breakthrough in mathematics yet
Artificial intelligence built by OpenAI has cracked a decades-old conjecture by Paul Erdős, which mathematicians have hailed as a monumental moment for AI in mathematics
·Baltimore, United States
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Total News Sources39
Leaning Left1Leaning Right2Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution62% Center
Bias Distribution
- 62% of the sources are Center
62% Center
13%
C 62%
R 25%
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