GPT-6 Astra gives mathematicians a breather, and OpenAI says that's by design
OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra tops ulam.ai's ErdosBench math benchmark with 106 of 226 problems solved, while the company prioritizes recursive self-improvement over math optimization.
OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra leads ulam.ai's ErdosBench with a score of 3.23, solving 106 of 226 open math problems and fully solving 43, ahead of GPT-5.6 Sol's 78 solved problems. Chief scientist Jakub Pachocki said OpenAI deliberately avoided targeted math optimization to prioritize recursive self-improvement and automated alignment research. Benchmark developer Przemek Chojecki estimated the gain at 5-10% across tested math-research skills. Mathematician Terence Tao warned at the 2026 International Congress of Mathematicians that AI-generated proofs could shift mathematics from proof scarcity to proof overload.