Learning to be simple: machine learning uncovers structures in finite simple groups
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 17-Nov-2025 19:11 ET (18-Nov-2025 00:11 GMT/UTC)
A research team of mathematicians and computer scientists has used machine learning to reveal new mathematical structure within the theory of finite groups. By training neural networks to recognise simplicity in algebraic data, the team discovered and proved a new theorem on the necessary properties of generators of finite simple groups. This work demonstrates how artificial intelligence can assist in formulating and even proving conjectures in pure mathematics. The 2-generator representation furthers earlier work of one of the authors with M. Kim using Cayley Tables, showing that simplicity has interesting data structure.
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