Testing Weaker Models' Ability to Reproduce Frontier Discoveries with Hints
danshipper · x · 2026-08-03
The author challenged GPT-5.6 with a math problem before a flight: testing if it could reproduce Astra's proof of Erdős's planar unit distance conjecture when given a hint involving algebraic number theory.
The core thesis is that weaker models can often reproduce frontier-model discoveries if provided with the right conceptual hints. The true advantage of frontier models lies fundamentally in their ability to autonomously explore and identify those correct directions.
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