Controversy over OpenAI's Maths Breakthrough
OpenAI claims its internal model proved the Navier-Stokes equations 'blow up' — a Millennium Prize Problem — amid allegations it borrowed mathematicians' methods.
OpenAI announced that an internal model produced a proof, certified in the Lean proof assistant, showing the Navier-Stokes equations can 'blow up,' implying infinite fluid speeds — a claimed solution to one of the seven $1-million Millennium Prize Problems. Mathematician Tristan Buckmaster alleged OpenAI, after learning of progress by him and Anthropic employee Levent Alpöge on 'blowing up' the related Euler equations, adopted a similar 'forcing' method; OpenAI's Sébastien Bubeck denied this, saying the model independently solved Euler by different means and produced the full Navier-Stokes proof over one weekend. Mathematicians including Diego Córdoba, co-developer of the forcing approach, remain cautious, and the community is still evaluating the competing proofs.
- OpenAI claims a Lean-certified proof that Navier-Stokes equations 'blow up,' one of seven $1M Millennium Prize Problems.
- Would be only the second Millennium Problem solved, and the first credited to an AI lab.
- Buckmaster alleged OpenAI adopted the method he and Alpöge used on the Euler equations; OpenAI denies influence.
- Bubeck says the internal model solved Euler independently and completed the full proof within a weekend.
- Community of mathematicians is still scrutinizing and comparing the rival proofs.
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- euler-equationsformal-verificationleanmathematical-proofmillennium-prize-problemnavier-stokesopenairesearch-controversy
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- Lean
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- OpenAIAnthropicScientific American
From the original article
3 min read at scientificamerican.com
For the second time ever, someone has solved one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems —math’s biggest targets, each worth a $1-million prize. But unlike the first time, that someone is an artificial intelligence start-up. Today OpenAI announced that its internal model has proved that the Navier-Stokes equations, which mathematicians use to study how fluids move, are fatally flawed.
By doubledamio · scientificamerican.com
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