Mathathon: Old Problems, New Proofs
Mathathon is centered around one question: how can we use AI to augment human understanding of mathematics?
Consider the four color theorem, the ABC conjecture, or the Navier-Stokes problem. Many mathematicians find their proofs—or claimed proofs—difficult to understand or unsatisfying. We invite our participants to pick a problem with an unintuitive solution, develop an alternative proof or exposition, then present it to their peers. The event consists of two rounds:
- Round 1: Onsite, 40 hours. Teams will make preliminary progress and give live talks before judges and other contestants.
- Round 2: Remote, 2 months. Teams will produce an online explainer and a GitHub repository. The explainer can take any form: a draft paper, a video, an interactive game, et cetera. The repository will store whatever was used to produce the explainer—LLM chat histories, code used to produce visualizations, and more.
By shifting the focus from open problems, we want to encourage Mathathon participants to explore everything else we do to make sense of mathematics: generalizations, new notations and techniques, connections to other problems. These innovations can be more exciting than solving individual problems.
We are hosting Round 1 on November 13th to November 15th at Caltech. Apply now.
Contact: mathathon@caltech.edu
FAQ
Who runs Mathathon?
Mathathon is a registered student organization at Caltech. Its decisions are made by its organizing committee, which consists of undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at Caltech. The committee does not receive monetary compensation from Mathathon or its sponsors.
Organizers: Alvan Arulandu, Andrea Li, Andrew Wu, Avni Garg, Brian Zhao, Caiman Moreno-Earle, Mayla Ward, Merrick Hua, Milo Moses, Sathvik Rodrothu, Vihaan Dheer.
Faculty Advisors: Sergei Gukov, Terence Tao, Tony Yue Yu.
The Foundation of Science and AI Research (SAIR) administers grants and travel reimbursements on behalf of Mathathon.
Who can apply?
We welcome applications from anyone above the age of 18, including undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and researchers in industry. Applicants should have prior experience in mathematical research or competition. Those who have completed a PhD in mathematics or adjacent fields may also apply as a judge.
Can I participate in just Round 1?
Yes. But you’ll miss out on a lot of fun :(
Will my travel be covered?
We are covering the cost of flights for all participants and judges. Participants will stay at the venue overnight, where they will be working with their teams for the duration of the event. We are also covering hotel accommodations for judges.
What is your position on AI?
We treat AI as one of many tools available to mathematicians. Proprietary models are allowed, but we encourage the use of open-source tools. We are partnering with the Foundation for Science and AI Research (SAIR) to provide compute, host workshops, and offer prizes to teams that use open-source models. Our goal is to empower each participant to make their own decision about the tools used at Mathathon and in their own work.