How AI Will Accelerate Breakthroughs in Unsolved Math Problems
Quick answer: UC Irvine and USC researchers recently received a $2.6 million DARPA grant to study how AI tools can accelerate mathematical discovery, measuring how well AI helps mathematicians solve unsolved problems in number theory, partial differential equations, and computational complexity over three years.
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond basic automation into complex scientific discovery. On May 18, 2026, DARPA funded a joint UC Irvine and USC initiative to understand how AI can drive real progress in pure mathematics, offering a blueprint for measuring AI’s true value in highly specialized fields.
Why is the DARPA grant for AI in mathematics significant?
According to UC Irvine, the $2.6 million, three-year grant from DARPA’s Exponentiating Mathematics Program is led by UC Irvine professor Jesse Wolfson, alongside co-principal investigators Aravind Asok of USC Dornsife and Alexa McLain of UC Irvine. The project stands out because it targets unresolved challenges, filling a critical gap in how AI is applied to open mathematical questions rather than closed systems.
How will researchers measure AI’s impact on mathematical discovery?
Rather than testing AI on closed problem sets with known answers, the team will examine AI directly in active research environments. As Wolfson explained, the goal is to see “whether it helps a working mathematician make progress on a problem that hasn’t been solved yet.” To track this, the team will convene roughly 20 expert mathematicians for four-day workshops held twice a year over three years, where small teams tackle open problems under close monitoring—evaluating how AI affects real productivity and innovation.
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