AI will solve math, but Steve Strogatz says deciding which problems matter stays human
stevenstrogatz · x · 2026-10-11
In a new essay, Robert Dewey talks with Cornell mathematician Steve Strogatz about Alex Wissner-Gross's prediction that "AI will solve math."
Key points:
- Solving vs. theory-building: Strogatz argues problem-solving is "a narrow part of the whole endeavor of math"; AI excels at the former, but building powerful new theories is a different challenge.
- Human taste: As AI makes answers cheap, the judgment of which questions are worth pursuing rises in value — the part machines may never own.
- The interview also previews Strogatz and Alex Townsend's new book Big Math, out November 10.
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