Mathematics: the Rise of the Machines

TL;DR

This paper discusses how AI techniques are increasingly aiding mathematical discovery through theorem-proving, conjecture formulation, and language processing, highlighting recent advances and future implications.

Contribution

It summarizes the growth of AI applications in mathematics since 2017, emphasizing machine learning's role in pattern detection and theoretical discovery across disciplines.

Findings

AI assists in geometry and physics research

Machine learning enables pattern detection in mathematical data

AI's role in future mathematical discovery is significant

Abstract

We argue how AI can assist mathematics in three ways: theorem-proving, conjecture formulation, and language processing. Inspired by initial experiments in geometry and theoretical physics in 2017, we summarize how this emerging field has grown over the past years, and show how various machine-learning algorithms can help with pattern detection across disciplines in the mathematical sciences. At the heart is the question how does AI help with theoretical discovery, and the implications for the future of mathematics.