The Caltech Mathathon on October 30th-31st, 2026 will be the first hackathon devoted to research-level mathematics. One hundred teams will use frontier AI models to solve open conjectures and build new mathematical theories, then defend their results before leading mathematicians. AI has recently achieved groundbreaking progress in pure math, including disproving Erdos's planar unit-distance conjecture (open 80 years), constructing the first explicit non-sofic group (open 27 years), and showing the six-sphere admits a complex structure (open 78 years).

These advances raise questions about how AI can accelerate mathematical discovery and what role remains for human mathematicians. Participants will receive $2M+ in AI credits to tackle open problems over 40 hours. Prizes will be awarded for the most promising results, with a second round after community verification.

The event addresses fundamental questions about AI's impact on mathematical research and collaboration.