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In a matter of months, AI has transformed the field of mathematics. In September, OpenAI claimed that an AI model solved the million-dollar Navier-Stokes equation. Then, a few weeks later, OpenAI shared results for more than 350 previously unsolved math problems. The news has prompted an existential conversation among mathematicians: In an age of AI, what’s the role of the human mathematician?
It’s a question that Terence Tao, largely considered one of the greatest mathematicians of this generation, is reckoning with right now. He speaks with Flora about how AI has upended the mathematics world, what the role of math is in this day and age, and why the real value of mathematics lies in the journey, not just the answer.
Tao is also the author of the forthcoming book, “Six Math Essentials,” which tells the story of math and how it shapes our world.
Further Reading
- What Makes for ‘Good’ Mathematics? Via Quanta Magazine
- VIDEO: Why Navier-Stokes Pushes Math and Physics to the Edge via Quanta Magazine on YouTube
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Segment Guests
Terence Tao
Dr. Terence Tao is a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles and the author of “Six Math Essentials.”
Segment Transcript
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Meet the Producers and Host
About Flora Lichtman
Flora Lichtman is a host of Science Friday. In a previous life, she lived on a research ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.
About Rasha Aridi
Rasha Aridi is a producer for Science Friday and the inaugural Outrider/Burroughs Wellcome Fund Fellow. She loves stories about weird critters, science adventures, and the intersection of science and history.