Thermofluids professor: OpenAI's Clay problem solution is not physically reproducible

GaryMarcus · x · 2026-09-22

Debate continues over OpenAI's claim to have solved the Clay Institute's Navier-Stokes-related problem. A thermofluids professor in mechanical engineering stated bluntly: the solution is not physically reproducible, and "we learn nothing about the nature of turbulence from the result" — it's "a mathematical curiosity" that fulfills the letter of the Clay question while completely missing its spirit.

Gary Marcus replied that he doesn't dispute the core claim, agreeing there are nuances. Others noted that a human solving this would have won the million-dollar prize. Multiple mathematicians point out Navier-Stokes has multiple facets, only some of which were solved, and OpenAI's announcement tweet overclaimed.

Related event: OpenAI's Navier-Stokes Claim Draws Fire from Mathematicians and Physicists(7 posts)→

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