Feb. 5, 2021 (Phys.org) -- Using AI and computer automation, researchers have developed a "conjecture generator" that creates mathematical conjectures, which are considered to be the starting point for developing mathematical theorems.
They have already used it to generate a number of previously unknown formulas. The study, which was published in the journal Nature, was carried out by undergraduates from different faculties under the tutelage of Assistant Professor Ido Kaminer of the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Technion.
The project deals with one of the most fundamental elements of mathematics -- mathematical constants. A mathematical constant is a number with a fixed value that emerges naturally from different mathematical calculations and mathematical structures in different fields. Many mathematical constants are of great importance in mathematics, but also in disciplines that are external to mathematics, including biology, physics, and ecology.
The golden ratio and Euler's number are examples of such fundamental constants. Perhaps the most famous constant is pi.
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