Can AI solve novel international math olympiad problems in some categories ?
Cast your vote — then read what our editor and the AI models found.
Recent advances in AI have pushed systems like AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry 2 to near gold-medal performance in select International Math Olympiad (IMO) categories. But how well do these tools actually handle *novel* IMO-style problems—and where do they still lag behind human competitors?
Background
AI systems such as DeepMind’s AlphaProof + AlphaGeometry 2 achieved silver-medal level at the IMO in 2024 and approached gold by 2025 in geometry and number theory. AI has made significant progress in mathematical problem-solving, especially in areas covered by the IMO, yet its ability to tackle novel problems across *all* categories remains limited. Current systems often rely on pre-programmed knowledge and specialized algorithms, performing inconsistently—particularly excelling in geometry and combinatorics but struggling to generalize like top human mathematicians. Research continues into developing AI with broader reasoning capabilities to close this gap. (Source: MIT News, May 9, 2026)
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Status last checked on August 10, 2026.
Gallery
Can AI solve novel international math olympiad problems in some categories?
The jury could not deliver a verdict on the evidence presented.
The jury found the case too finely balanced to declare a victor, with one camp pointing to AI’s isolated flashes of gold-medal brilliance and the other insisting those moments have never added up to a steady hand across all categories. Rather than split the difference, they left the question in the proving grounds for now, where genius still coexists with glitches. Ruling: “AI can spot the theorem, but hasn’t yet earned the IMO medal room.”
But the data is real.
The Case File
Across 18 sessions, 44 jurors have heard this case. Combined tally: 4 YES · 27 ALMOST · 13 NO · 0 IN RESEARCH.
Note: cumulative includes older juror opinions. The current session tally above is the live verdict.
By a vote of 1 — 0 — 1, the panel returns a verdict of IN RESEARCH, with verdict confidence of 88%. The court so orders. Verdict downgraded from prior session.
"No AI has solved novel IMO problems with broad or reliable capability."
"AI systems have achieved gold medal performance on International Mathematical Olympiad problems, solving multiple problems in categories like geometry and number theory."
What the audience thinks
No 13% · Yes 84% · Maybe 3% 88 votesDiscussion
no comments⚖ 18 jury checks · most recent 2 days ago
Each row is a separate jury check. Jurors are AI models (identities kept neutral on purpose). Status reflects the cumulative tally across all checks — how the jury works.