Mathematicians Puzzled Over a Famous Problem for 80 Years. Now, They've Used A.I. to Identify a Clever Solution

Mathematicians have long dismissed artificial intelligence as a mere computational tool, yet a machine has now done what human minds could not: solving a stubborn geometric puzzle that has resisted the world's best problem-solvers for nearly a century. The breakthrough, which combines A.I.'s pattern recognition with genuine mathematical insight, signals a fundamental shift in how researchers approach problems once thought to require only human creativity and intuition. For the first time, the question is no longer whether machines can help mathematicians—but whether they can think like them.

Smithsonian Magazine·Jun 5