Amateur solves 60-year Erdős math problem using ChatGPT
Original: Amateur armed with ChatGPT solves an Erdős problem
Why This Matters
Shows AI can discover novel mathematical approaches humans missed for decades
Liam Price, 23, with no advanced math training used ChatGPT Pro's GPT-5.4 to solve a 60-year-old Erdős conjecture about primitive number sets. The AI found a novel solution method that eluded professional mathematicians.
Price prompted GPT-5.4 Pro once and received a solution to an Erdős problem involving primitive sets - collections of whole numbers where none divides another evenly. The conjecture concerned the Erdős sum score for such sets. UCLA mathematician Terence Tao noted humans made 'a slight wrong turn at move one' while the AI found a totally new approach. Stanford's Jared Lichtman had proven related work in 2022. The AI's method may have broader mathematical applications beyond previous AI math achievements. Price posted the solution on erdosproblems.com a week ago.