‘Romance’ between scientists and AI leads to progress on age-old maths problem
AI system called PackingStar achieves record-breaking advances on the 'kissing number' geometry puzzle.
Deep Dive
Researchers from Peking University, Fudan University, and the Shanghai Academy of AI for Science (SAIS) used a reinforcement learning AI system called PackingStar to make record-breaking progress on Isaac Newton's 'kissing number' problem, a 330-year-old geometry challenge. The AI surpassed human geometric intuition, demonstrating its ability to understand complex high-dimensional spaces and reshape established mathematical thinking.
Why It Matters
Shows AI's potential to solve fundamental scientific problems, with implications for data storage and telecommunications.