An OpenAI model solved a famous math problem that stumped humans for 80 years

An OpenAI model solved the 80-year-old unit distance problem, disproving a major conjecture in discrete geometry and marking a milestone in AI-driven mathematics. The proof came from a new general-purpose reasoning model, rather than from a system trained specifically for mathematics. The proof has been checked by external mathematicians who wrote a companion paper explaining the argument and providing further context for the significance of the result.

Source: Ars Technica | 2026-06-01