Terence Tao

OpenAI published a counterexample disproving the Unit Distance Conjecture, a geometric graph theory problem open since 1946, in what many mathematicians call the most significant AI math result yet. Reactions range from Terence Tao's cautious optimism to Timothy Gowers describing 'mixed feelings' about having the rug pulled out from under him.

OpenAI's GPT-5.4 Pro model has reportedly solved Erdős open problem #1196 in approximately 80 minutes, with another 30 minutes to format the solution as a LaTeX paper. Mathematician Terence Tao notes the solution reveals a previously undescribed connection between integer anatomy and Markov process theory.