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AI cracked an Erdős math problem. Now experts want guardrails

An AI model disproved a famous conjecture by mathematician Paul Erdős, finding a more efficient way to arrange pairs of points at equal distances than the regular grid he proposed. The breakthrough has prompted experts to call for guardrails on AI use in mathematics, raising concerns about trust, credit, and access to such discoveries.

read1 min publishedJun 8, 2026

News Math AI cracked an Erdős math problem. Now experts want guardrails The model disproved a famous conjecture, raising questions about trust, credit and access Paul Erdős thought that the best way to arrange as many pairs of points as possible at the same distance from each other would be to use a regular grid, with the points spaced so that as many as possible fall onto circles. As you add more points, the number of pairs will increase, but only slightly, he conjectured. An AI model found a more complicated way to arrange pairs of points so that their number actually grows at a larger rate. Kai Williams By Kathryn Hulick June 8, 2026 at 9:00 am Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Think about placing dots on a flat surface.

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