Claude helps disprove an 87-year-old math problem

Anthropic researcher Levent Alpöge says Claude Fable 5 helped produce a oneline argument that disproves the Jacobian conjecture, a longstanding math problem first posed in 1939. The proof was shared on X over the weekend and is described as short enough for experts to verify directly. The Jacobian conjecture has challenged mathematicians for decades, and previous claimed solutions have not held up. The report notes that this is one of several recent examples of frontier AI models contributing to mathematical breakthroughs, including work on other open problems and geometry questions. If confirmed, the result would add to growing evidence that advanced AI systems can assist with difficult research tasks in mathematics and other scientific fields. The article frames the development as part of a broader shift in what these models may be able to do over the next few years.