Human-AI Collaboration Yields First New Square Packing Bound in 23 Years: s(11) ≥ 381/100
viksit · x · 2026-09-08
A hobbyist researcher, working alongside multiple AI models, announced a new lower bound of s(11) ≥ 381/100 for the open problem of packing 11 identical squares — the first significant result in 23 years. The proof is verifiable with 300 lines of Python exact rational arithmetic and proceeds by placing 1,121 unavoidable weighted dots within the containing square. An explainer paper with interactive graphics is available, and the previous best construction came from mathematician Walter Trump.
More from Fun
- AI safety researcher has stress dreams about colleagues assigning 41% to God existing — NathanpmYoung · 2026-09-08
- Dev jokes about negotiating 'unlimited tokens for my friend' into AI company offers — AaronBergman18 · 2026-09-08
- Astra Light generates a porta potty scene in 4 minutes: "It's over" — Previous-Pride6335 · 2026-09-08
- Ethan Mollick's D&D Encounter Test: watching AI models fight mind flayers — eldonredwards · 2026-09-08
- LLM vs RAG vs Agent in one line: knows, looks up, does — techNmak · 2026-09-08
- AI beats 1800-rated chess bot in 31 moves after engine upgrades, no opening book used — MikePFrank · 2026-09-08