AI Language Models Revolutionize Mathematical Discoveries

Researchers have introduced FunSearch, an evolutionary procedure that pairs a pre-trained Large Language Model (LLM) with a systematic evaluator to overcome confabulations and make new discoveries. By applying FunSearch to the cap set problem in extremal combinatorics, they have found new constructions of large cap sets, surpassing previous results. FunSearch has also been applied to the algorithmic problem of online bin packing, resulting in new heuristics that outperform existing baselines. This approach not only improves the effectiveness and scalability of LLM-based approaches but also produces more interpretable programs, enabling collaboration between domain experts and FunSearch for real-world applications.