A reasoning model from OpenAI has disproved a conjecture by mathematician Paul Erdős on unit-distance geometry that stood open since 1946 - using tools from algebraic number theory that experts never expected in this context. Fields Medalist Tim Gowers calls the result "a milestone in AI mathematics" and warns: "We have still probably entered an era where it will become very difficult for humans to compete with AI at solving mathematical problems."

The sudden resolution of a well-known conjecture highlights the growing adoption of AI as an assistant in high-level mathematics

An internal OpenAI model autonomously disproved Paul Erdős's unit distance conjecture, marking a milestone in AI-driven mathematical discovery.