Microsoft's Astra Model Proves Non-Sofic Groups Exist, Achieves Narrow Superintelligence in Math

josh_wills · x · 2026-08-02

Microsoft core researcher Sebastien Bubeck revealed that their next major model, Astra, has achieved "narrow superintelligence" in discrete mathematics, successfully proving the existence of non-sofic groups.

The team released 10 mathematical proofs generated by Astra, covering fields from von Neumann algebras (disproving Connes' Rigidity Conjecture) to better bounds for high-dimensional sphere packing and circuit complexity. All proofs include Lean certificates and Chain-of-Thought walkthroughs.

Commenters noted that while models now exceed PhD levels in some areas, they still fall short in others, suggesting that AI progress heavily depends on verifiability.

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