Same probability conjecture, two proofs: an 87-page AI-flavored paper vs 19 crafted pages
michaelchchoi · x · 2026-09-28
Mathematician Simon Coste highlights a telling signal: the probability conjecture "Cutoff for the Exclusion Process" got two independent proofs within September — one by Joe Chen (87 dense pages, intro well-written but deeper sections "borderline claudesloppish") and one by Hermon, Kozma and Salez (19 handcrafted pages in Justin Salez's famously crystal-clear style).
- Both likely required substantial work, but Coste argues long-run there's no point publishing 87-page proofs
- Nobody will read or review them; nobody cares who proved it first
Widely shared as "September's glimpse on the future of math writing": AI boosts proof output, but readability and peer-review culture haven't caught up.
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