VibeMathedMath problems solved by AI

Sárközy's Conjecture on Sums and Products Modulo a Prime

For AFpA \subseteq \mathbb{F}_p let A=(A+A)(AA)A^* = (A+A) \cup (AA). Sárközy conjectured that for all large primes, every set of size at least cpc\sqrt{p} has A=FpA^* = \mathbb{F}_p-like covering behaviour. Disproved with an explicit construction from the classical cross-ratio orbit, together with the exact extremal value.

Result
Disproved
Status
Resolved
AI contribution
AI-assisted
Method
Construction
Field
Additive combinatorics over finite fields
Posed by
András Sárközy
Year posed
Years open
Solved
2026-03-31
Model
Harmonic Aristotle
Vendor
Harmonic
Collaborators
Quanyu Tang
Verification
Lean-checked, statement unaudited
Publication
Preprint
Significance
15 / 100
Disclosed cost
Wikipedia
No dedicated article

What the AI did

Aristotle produced formal Lean proofs of all four principal statements of the paper (the formalization is public), and "was also used to assist in the preparation of this paper." The counterexample construction itself builds on a classical projective-geometric orbit.

Verification

All four principal statements formalized and checked in Lean; Wouter van Doorn assisted with the formalization. No independent expert review yet. Tier: the formalization was produced within the project (Aristotle, with van Doorn assisting); no independent statement audit.

Source

arXiv

Discussion