Amateur solved a 60-year-old Erdős problem with a single GPT-5.4 Pro prompt

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TLDR

  • A non-professional mathematician used a single ChatGPT prompt to prove a conjecture that stumped experts for 60 years.

Key Facts

  • The solved problem is a conjecture originating with mathematician Paul Erdős, unsolved for roughly 60 years.
  • The proof was produced using GPT-5.4 Pro with a method no human had previously devised.
  • Terence Tao, a leading mathematician, called it a nice achievement but said its long-term significance is unclear.
  • Experts believe the AI’s approach may have further uses beyond this specific problem.

Why It Matters

  • An amateur using a single AI prompt achieved what professional mathematicians had not, raising questions about AI’s role in research.
  • The novelty of the proof method, not just the result, is what experts say warrants attention.

Joseph Howlett / Scientific American · 2026-04-26 · Read the original

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