AI News: AI as Co-Pilot for Mathematicians #ai #mathematics#machine proof

Mathematics has often been a solitary pursuit, as illustrated by Andrew Wiles' seven-year effort to prove Fermat's theorem. However, advancements have allowed for the formalization of mathematical components, enabling computers to verify proofs. Terence Tao sees this as an opportunity for enhanced collaboration in mathematics, potentially further transformed by artificial intelligence. Automated proof checkers now allow collaboration among many mathematicians without the need for personal trust, as demonstrated in Tao's work on the Polynomial Freiman-Ruzsa conjecture. This division of labor lets mathematicians focus on the mathematical aspects while others handle programming. Machine-assisted proofs have become significantly more feasible, making formal mathematics more practical than two decades ago.