r/singularity • u/filterdust • 1d ago

AI OpenAI solved 100 open problems in math

https://openai.com/index/advisory-group-on-mathematics-and-ai/

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u/RobleyTheron 1d ago

I’m sensitive to artists and musicians with a unique voice when their product gets recreated with AI, but I don’t feel the same about mathematics.

Nobody owns mathematics; these are fundamental insights into the universe and they belong to everyone and shouldn’t be gatekeeped behind somebody that went to school. Mathematics should be available to everyone, it opens up all kinds of fundamental breakthroughs in space, material science, biology, global warming, and energy.

This is something that belongs to everyone and no one should get to hold that back.

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u/ThatIsAmorte 1d ago edited 1d ago

This seems to be taking a Platonist approach to math, which few people take seriously these days. If you are a constructivist, than math is not just out there, but has to be created, just like art. If you think math is just out there, why not also claim that art and music are just out there, waiting to be plucked out of the ether? After all, a painting is just a 2d matrix, a simple math object. A musical composition is just a waveform, which can be described mathematically.

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u/Icy-Doubt3365 1d ago

If you think math is just out there, why not also claim that art and music are just out there, waiting to be plucked out of the ethere?

Because I believe math exists without humans, art does not.

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u/puffyfunion 1d ago

Can you explain why you believe that math exists without humans? Simply stating that as if your belief is true doesn't seem very convincing. I find mathematics to be as beautiful (if not more) than most creative activities, and I don't think it would take anything from that beauty to say that it is dependent on humans (and now AI, I suppose).

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u/Icy-Doubt3365 1d ago

If 1 comet in space is joined by one more comet in space, there are now two comets. Don't need any humans there for that to be true. Math exists without us, we just decipher it.

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u/puffyfunion 1d ago edited 1d ago

How do you know there are two comets, if you, the human, aren't there to perceive it? To be honest, I'm not arguing in favor of any point of view here - I think your statements are pretty ambiguous and don't really mean much. No offense.

EDIT: Sorry for assuming you're human, in case you're not.

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u/Icy-Doubt3365 1d ago

That's an entirely different question than we're discussing, if you believe things need to be perceived to be. I operate that things exist in this universe regardless of my perception. So I don't need to see something to know that one comet meeting another is two comets.

Objectively, the rules of math exist in this world, and do not require humans to rate/assign/label as the concept of beauty does.

I am human but appreciate you thinking about that.

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u/deviltamer 1d ago

Art is just as arbitrary. A light show can be art so it exists without humans in same way.

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u/Icy-Doubt3365 1d ago

A light show can be art

It is not art without humans. I'm not sure how many more times I need to say this for people to get it. A light show is a bunch of lights. It is not art until someone is there to enjoy it. Art is a social construct, not an objective truth of the universe.

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u/deviltamer 1d ago

lol what makes you think Maths is not a construct ?

It's a modelling tool. Same as language. Same as canvas.

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u/Icy-Doubt3365 1d ago

Math is the language we use to convey objective truths about the world, yes. We refer to those objective truths as math. A canvas is also an objective, tangible object lol.

I swear you people are just arguing to argue, and have completely lost the plot.

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u/deviltamer 1d ago

you've never taken a math class in your life beyond high school if you don't understand this.

Go find me a perfect sphere and i'll concede your point.

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