A web developer used AI agents to settle a 50-year-old conjecture.
Dan Abramov, a well-known web developer, published a machine-checked proof of Conway's refinement conjecture on 18 September. He steered ChatGPT and Claude for five weeks, burning about $40,000 worth of tokens. A proof-checking program accepts the result, but no mathematician has reviewed it yet.
Why it mattersMachines can now certify a proof that no human has read, which changes who gets to do mathematics. It also puts a price on a hard result: five weeks and the cost of a used car.
▶ Related video: John Horton Conway | The surreal numbers
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