Generative AI Fundamentals Map

Map/Science and health/Wave 9

AI in research mathematics

Models that find proofs and better constructions, with checkable answers.

capabilityEmerging Open on the map →

Facts

Lane: Science and health
Wave: 9 of 12 (build order, not a date)
Needs: 11 boxes all the way back through hard links
Unlocks: 0 boxes downstream through hard links
Leverage: None
Cluster: Science and medicine

Evidence as of October 2026

A Gemini Deep Think model reached IMO gold in 2025. AlphaEvolve improved the best known solution on about 20% of more than 50 open problems.

01Google: Accelerating discovery with the AI for Math Initiative

Around it

Needs · 2

Reasoning modelsstage · Built today
Reliable verifierscapability · Built today

Unlocks · 1

Agent-run discoverystage · Emerging · helps, not required

Brakes

Works against this box

Narrowing of scientific inquirybrake · Built today

Loops and off-ramps

Capex pullbackoff-ramp · cut off
Taiwan chip disruptionoff-ramp · cut off
Power shortfalloff-ramp · cut off
Capability plateauoff-ramp · cut off
Training data ruled outoff-ramp · slowed

Openings researchers' judgement, October 2026 scouting

Startup room 33/100 · rank 96 of 124 Research room 48/100 · rank 63 of 124

Crowding3 Lab overlap4 Small-team fit3 Buyer today2 Research openness4

Depth: light
Players: Harmonic ($120m C, $1.45bn); Axiom Math ($200m A, $1.6bn); Google DeepMind; OpenAI; Math Inc
Wedge: Autoformalisation research (statement faithfulness, Mathlib coverage); the buyer is moving to software verification rather than mathematicians. research