Math models were already good at brute-force counterexample hunting, says AI researcher
dyamins · x · 2026-07-21
The post argues that the surprising part of the Jacobian conjecture counterexample is less that a math model could find it, and more that people had not previously applied enough automated search to look for this kind of counterexample.
- The author says math models are already good at exhaustively checking conditions, handling combinatorial edge cases, and avoiding infinite search spaces through constraint reasoning.
- They point to their own experience using models to surface annoying multivariable calculus and algebraic geometry counterexamples.
- The broader claim is that automation often does the boring but crucial search work humans dislike, while human effort historically went into elaborate theory-building and proof attempts that still missed the counterexample.
Related event: AI Overturns Multiple Math Conjectures, Sparking Heated Debate(13 posts)→
More from AGI Musings
- Counterintuitive take: AI degrades thinking most for those who don't use it — jd_pressman · 2026-10-27
- Mathematics as an experimental science: Marc Lelarge to talk LLM-driven math experiments at ENS — marc_lelarge · 2026-10-27
- People still don't want to read AI-generated books, says AI ethicist — LuizaJarovsky · 2026-10-27
- Dario Amodei and Demis Hassabis both point to AGI in 2026-2027 in viral talk — mtizard · 2026-10-27
- Microsoft layoffs and AI job losses: is tech eating its own market? — skatejraney · 2026-10-27
- BCI researcher: augmentation won't guarantee immortality, but beats the alternative — danfaggella · 2026-10-27