Tim Gowers

Mathematician, Collège de France

Appears in 1 story

Born: November 20, 1963, Wiltshire

Education: Eton College, Trinity College, University of Cambridge

Last updated Nov 2, 2026

Stories

AI systems begin producing original mathematics

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Verifier and public endorser of the proof

For 80 years, mathematicians believed square grids were the best way to pack points at distance exactly 1 apart on a plane. On May 20, an internal OpenAI reasoning model produced a counterexample, using algebraic number theory to beat the grid by a small polynomial factor. Nine outside mathematicians verified the proof.

Updated May 24