AI model helps physics Nobel laureate out of a decade-old mathematical jam

Physics World reports that two theoretical physicists, including 2021 Nobel laureate Giorgio Parisi, have solved a mathematical problem that stumped them for a decade. With help from Claude, Anthropic's AI model, they finally proved why two mathematical parameters tied to the 'jamming' phenomenon — where disordered fluid systems suddenly lock up — always sum to one. The researchers had numerical evidence for years but couldn't find the formal proof until asking the AI. Claude's solution was unexpectedly simple, suggesting the answer was there all along but hidden in plain sight. They're publishing their full conversation with Claude to ensure transparency about the AI's role in the breakthrough.

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