San Francisco mathematician uses AI to disprove Jacobian conjecture
PUBLISHED Aug 1, 2026, 10:55 AM ET
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Levent Alpöge, a mathematician at AI company Anthropic in San Francisco, reports finding a counterexample to the long-standing Jacobian conjecture in higher dimensions, using the firm’s large language model Claude Fable 5. The conjecture, posed 87 years ago, concerns polynomial functions whose Jacobian determinant is a non-zero constant and asks whether such functions must be invertible. Alpöge’s claimed counterexample, shared in a concise formula on X shortly after the FIFA World Cup Final, challenges decades of prevailing belief and is now subject to independent verification by experts.
By James Porter | JQJO News
Timeline of Events
- On Jun 1, 1884, Czech mathematician Ludwig Kraus stated the initial two-dimensional version.
- On Jan 1, 1939, Ott-Heinrich Keller generalized the algebraic geometry problem globally.
- On May 15, 1998, Stephen Smale listed the problem among century mathematical challenges.
- On Jun 1, 2026, Anthropic officially released the large language model Claude Fable 5.
- On Jul 19, 2026, Levent Alpöge posted the AI-generated polynomial solution online.
- On Jul 20, 2026, Independent mathematicians quickly verified the arithmetic correctness via software.
- On Aug 1, 2026, Academic communities and pre-print servers circulated comprehensive verification breakdowns.
- On Sep 1, 2026, Researchers anticipate formal peer-reviewed publication of the counterexample findings.
- On Oct 15, 2026, Academic workshops plan specialized sessions analyzing AI discovery methodologies.
- On Jan 1, 2027, Mathematicians expect ongoing investigations into the remaining two-dimensional case.
News Intelligence
- AI language models accelerate complex mathematical problem-solving discoveries nationwide.
- Automated scientific discovery paradigms will transform advanced academic research.
- Mathematicians, technology developers, university researchers, software engineers, and academic institutions.
- Prioritise verified computer algebra system checks over speculative commentary.
- Articles Published:
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Left: Evidence was insufficient. Center: Focus on the collaborative nature of AI tools and verifiable math. Right: Evidence was insufficient.
Levent Alpöge social media post published on July 19, 2026. https://x.com/alpoge/status/2079028340955197566
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San Francisco mathematician uses AI to disprove Jacobian conjecture
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