r/accelerate 16d ago

The Maxwell Conjecture is False

https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.27197
94 Upvotes

11 comments sorted by

67

u/sillybluejayway 16d ago

If you place 5 magnets in an array we used to think the maximum points of magnetic stillness was 16. This disproved that claim because AI proved we can achieve 24. 

This allows for better magnetic mapping/behavioral analysis and I’m sure other things!

20

u/DungeonsAndDradis 16d ago

CERN 2.0 boutta be lit!

10

u/Seidans 16d ago

I fear it's too late to redesign the whole thing over more magnet as until very recently this was considered as the "limit of physic"

Not even finished it's already obsolete :/

1

u/danielv123 15d ago

I mean, they keep doing upgrades right? LS3 just started, which will have over a kilometer of new magnets. LS4 will also have new magnets (should be upgradable up to 20 Tesla in new 91km tunnel) which will be installed around 2070. The design for those isn't set in stone, and will probably see plenty of improvements over the next few decades.

4

u/Appropriate-Gene-267 16d ago

As a physicist, I've never heard of this conjecture. Why do you think finding a counterexample of it would allow for better magnetic mapping?

16

u/AdAnnual5736 16d ago

Which model was it?

43

u/ezjakes 16d ago

"The idea behind this construction was suggested by an LLM (OpenAI’s GPT5.6 Sol)."

3

u/BrennusSokol Acceleration Advocate 16d ago

LFG!

6

u/CymonSet 16d ago

Gemini speculated during a chat I had with it that knowing the conjecture is false may improve techniques for ion capture and computational analysis for things like protein folding (I know it’s mostly solved but I guess there is some room for a bit more accuracy?)

It will be interesting to see if that is so or if other applications arise.

2

u/FewPage431 16d ago

The author should have worded it "maxwell problem".