ChatGPT takes a run at the Jacobian conjecture—and stops itself
thomasahle · x · 2026-07-20
A ChatGPT conversation tries to attack the Jacobian conjecture with a proposed construction strategy.
The model suggests building a rational object in a localization and making its Jacobian cancel by the chain rule, but then concedes that it does not produce a verified polynomial counterexample. It says the strategy creates a clean rational, non-injective, unit-Jacobian map, yet the boundary mechanism introduces ramification that would not survive in a polynomial Keller map.
The result is a neat example of an AI-generated mathematical dead end: plausible-sounding reasoning, followed by a precise admission that the proof does not actually go through.
Related event: Pranking ChatGPT with Math Counterexamples Triggers Startled Reactions(5 posts)→
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