Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A fresh mind can sometimes find answers to a problem that's been unsolved for decades. đź’«
Mathematician Alex Kontorovich says that's a real pattern in math history, and it's what AI is now doing too: walking up to old, stuck problems and spotting the simple move that breaks them open.
No new theory, no decades of specialized expertise. Just a different set of eyes landing in the right place.
However, despite the advancements, the hardest problems still hold up against humans and machines alike.
To watch Alex Kontorovich's full interview about auto-formalization in Lean, alongside fellow mathematician Scott Armstrong, check out the ICM TV playlist on our YouTube channel. Link in bio! đź”—
Have you ever solved something just by looking at it from a new angle? Tell us about it in the comments below! 👇
A fresh mind can sometimes find answers to a problem that's been unsolved for decades. đź’«
Mathematician Alex Kontorovich says that's a real pattern in math history, and it's what AI is now doing too: walking up to old, stuck problems and spotting the simple move that breaks them open.
No new theory, no decades of specialized expertise. Just a different set of eyes landing in the right place.
However, despite the advancements, the hardest problems still hold up against humans and machines alike.
To watch Alex Kontorovich's full interview about auto-formalization in Lean, alongside fellow mathematician Scott Armstrong, check out the ICM TV playlist on our YouTube channel. Link in bio! đź”—
Have you ever solved something just by looking at it from a new angle? Tell us about it in the comments below! 👇
