GPT-5.4 Pro solved Erdős problem 1196, Lichtman calls method new
OpenAI's GPT-5.4 Pro solved the Erdos problem 1196 earlier this year, a math mystery that stumped experts for decades.
The breakthrough came when 23-year-old Liam Price from the UK prompted the AI, and Stanford mathematician Jared Duker Lichtman, who spent seven years on Erdos problem 164 and had also been thinking about problem 1196 during that time, confirmed it was legitimate.
Lichtman called the AI's method new: something human researchers hadn't seen before.
OpenAI announced 10 more mathematical advances
This isn't just another math win for AI: it introduced a fresh approach that unlocked solutions to other tough problems too.
On August 1, OpenAI announced even more progress: 10 more advances in open mathematical problems.
Lichtman says AI is quickly becoming a real partner in research, bringing new ideas and helping push what's possible in math.