Mathematical exploration and discovery at scale
On the map: LLM agents and tool use → Educational agents and math problem solving
Abstract (arXiv)
AlphaEvolve (Novikov et al., 2025) is a generic evolutionary coding agent that combines the generative capabilities of LLMs with automated evaluation in an iterative evolutionary framework that proposes, tests, and refines algorithmic solutions to challenging scientific and practical problems. In this paper we showcase AlphaEvolve as a tool for autonomously discovering novel mathematical constructions and advancing our understanding of long-standing open problems. To demonstrate its breadth, we considered a list of 67 problems spanning mathematical analysis, combinatorics, geometry, and number theory. The system rediscovered the best known solutions in most of the cases and discovered improved solutions in several. In some instances, AlphaEvolve is also able to generalize results for a finite number of input values into a formula valid for all input values. Furthermore, we are able to combine this methodology with Deep Think and AlphaProof in a broader framework where the additional proof-assistants and reasoning systems provide automated proof generation and further mathematical insights. These results demonstrate that large language model-guided evolutionary search can autonomously discover mathematical constructions that complement human intuition, at times matching or even improving the best known results, highlighting the potential for significant new ways of interaction between mathematicians and AI systems. We present AlphaEvolve as a powerful new tool for mathematical discovery, capable of exploring vast search spaces to solve complex optimization problems at scale, often with significantly reduced requirements on preparation and computation time.
Key facts. Cited by 77 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Educational agents and math problem solving, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use. First posted on arXiv 3 Nov 2025.
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Citing papers per year: 2025: 5; 2026: 72.
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- 2026Beyond Benchmarks: MathArena as an Evaluation Platform for Mathematics with LLMscited by 137
- 2025ThetaEvolve: Test-time Learning on Open Problemscited by 64
- 2026EvoX: Meta-Evolution for Automated Discoverycited by 60
- 2026A Survey of Agentic Reasoning for Large Language Models: Towards Recursively Self-Improving and Collective Agentscited by 50
- 2026Building Production-Ready Probes For Geminicited by 47
- 2026Towards Autonomous Mathematics Researchcited by 40
- 2026MLEvolve: A Self-Evolving Framework for Automated Machine Learning Algorithm Discoverycited by 28
- 2026DeltaEvolve: Accelerating Scientific Discovery through Momentum-Driven Evolutioncited by 26
- 2026Advancing Mathematics Research with AI-Driven Formal Proof Searchcited by 23
- 2026Structured Scaling of AI Discovery Across Diverse Scientific Domainscited by 21
- 2026Dream-RSI: Recursive Self-Improvement through Evolving Worldscited by 18
- 2025AgenticSciML: Collaborative Multi-Agent Systems for Emergent Discovery in Scientific Machine Learningcited by 14
38 more
- 2025GigaEvo: An Open Source Optimization Framework Powered By LLMs And Evolution Algorithmscited by 11
- 2026Simple Baselines are Competitive with Code Evolutioncited by 9
- 2026Reinforced Generation of Combinatorial Structures: Ramsey Numberscited by 9
- 2026Measuring Progress in Reasoning Toward Mathematical Discovery with Automatic Verificationcited by 9
- 2025ATHENA: Agentic Team for Hierarchical Evolutionary Numerical Algorithmscited by 7
- 2026ArchAgent: Agentic AI-driven Computer Architecture Discoverycited by 6
- 2026LEVI: Stronger Search Architectures Can Substitute for Larger LLMs in Evolutionary Searchcited by 6
- 2026GRAFT-ATHENA: Self-Improving Agentic Teams for Autonomous Discovery and Evolutionary Numerical Algorithmscited by 6
- 2026Large Language Model Agent for User-friendly Chemical Process Simulationscited by 5
- 2026LiveMathematicianBench: A Live Benchmark for Research-Level Mathematical Reasoning with Proof Sketchescited by 5
- 2026Computer Architecture's AlphaZero Moment: Automated Discovery in an Encircled Worldcited by 5
- 2026Discovering Multiagent Learning Algorithms with Large Language Modelscited by 4
- 2026The Agentic Researcher: A Practical Guide to AI-Assisted Research in Mathematics and Machine Learningcited by 4
- 2026Flow-based Extremal Mathematical Structure Discoverycited by 3
- 2026ConvexBench: Can LLMs Recognize Convex Functions?cited by 3
- 2026CausalEvolve: Towards Open-Ended Discovery with Causal Scratchpadcited by 3
- 2026What Do Evolutionary Coding Agents Evolve?cited by 3
- 2025LLMs, Reasoning and Plagiarismcited by 2
- 2026SPS: Steering Probability Squeezing for Better Exploration in Reinforcement Learning for Large Language Modelscited by 2
- 2026pAI/MSc: ML Theory Research with Humans on the Loopcited by 2
- 2026SMCEvolve: Principled Scientific Discovery via Sequential Monte Carlo Evolutioncited by 2
- 2026Flood and Harvest: The Provable Necessity of Trivia for Generating Valuable Mathematics via the Lens of Language Generation in the Limitcited by 2
- 2026AI-Assisted Discovery of Convex Relaxations via Dual Agentscited by 2
- 2026Contrastive Concept-Tree Search for LLM-Assisted Algorithm Discoverycited by 1
- 2026Judging What We Cannot Solve: A Consequence-Based Approach for Oracle-Free Evaluation of Research-Level Mathcited by 1
- 2026ImprovEvolve: Basin-Hopping Meets LLM-Guided Evolutionary Searchcited by 1
- 2026Improved Upper Bounds for Slicing the Hypercubecited by 1
- 2026A New Lower Bound for the Random Offerer Mechanism in Bilateral Trade using AI-Guided Evolutionary Searchcited by 1
- 2026Automated near-term quantum algorithm discovery for molecular ground statescited by 1
- 2026Heterogeneous Scientific Foundation Model Collaborationcited by 1
- 2026Intentmaking and Sensemaking: Human Interaction with AI-Guided Mathematical Discoverycited by 1
- 2026Artificial Intelligence for Mathematical Reasoning: An Integrated Survey of Language Models, Neuro-symbolic Systems, and Verified Discoverycited by 1
- 2026From Solvers to Research: Large Language Model-Driven Formal Mathematics at the Research Frontiercited by 1
- 2026MECA: A Mechanism-Centered Agent for Constructing Well-Specified and Valuable Mathematical Conjecturescited by 1
- 2026LLM Framework for Discovering Major Mathematical Conjectures: AI's Quest for the Next Riemann Hypothesiscited by 1
- 2026Autonomous Mathematical Discovery in an Open-World Multi-Agent Environmentcited by 1
- 2026FLARE: Verifying MILP Reformulations with LLM-Based Theorem Provingcited by 1
- 2026Stellar Colosseum: A Many-Agent Harness for Long-Horizon Research in Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Sciencecited by 1
50 most cited of 77 All 77 (JSON)
- 2026HarnessTTT: Learn to Optimize Harness at Test-Time for Scientific Discovery12 Oct 2026
- 2026AI Discovery in Combinatorics: From Problems to Solutions and Back to Bigger Problems12 Oct 2026
- 2026JANUS: Enhancing Long-Horizon Autonomous Research with Co-Evolving World Models9 Oct 2026
- 2026Which Skill to Distill? SGUID: Selecting a Compact Skill Bank for Model-Skill Co-Evolution8 Oct 2026
- 2026When Algorithmic Exploration Becomes Cheap: A Case Study of Agentic Research in EDA7 Oct 2026
- 2026Cogentic: Multi-Agent Orchestration for Automated Proof Discovery30 Sep 2026
- 2026MILO: Automated Harness Discovery via Orchestrated Multi-Agent Evolution29 Sep 2026
- 2026HeurEvo: Agentic Evolution of Hybrid Solver-Augmented Heuristics for Time-Critical Mathematical Optimization28 Sep 2026
- 2026When Does Structured Knowledge Help Neural Theorem Proving?28 Sep 2026
- 2026LANTERN: Illuminating Hidden Mathematical Knowledge in Language Models26 Sep 2026
- 2026Xeno-Interpretability: Investigating the Alien Minds of LLMs17 Sep 2026
- 2026Stellar Colosseum: A Many-Agent Harness for Long-Horizon Research in Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science14 Sep 2026
38 more
- 2026Dream-RSI: Recursive Self-Improvement through Evolving Worlds14 Sep 2026
- 2026FLARE: Verifying MILP Reformulations with LLM-Based Theorem Proving25 Aug 2026
- 2026Autonomous Mathematical Discovery in an Open-World Multi-Agent Environment24 Aug 2026
- 2026Six misconceptions about large language models: A minimal model and diagnostic taxonomy19 Aug 2026
- 2026MECA: A Mechanism-Centered Agent for Constructing Well-Specified and Valuable Mathematical Conjectures30 Jul 2026
- 2026Mathematical Discovery in the Wild: AI-Guided Proofs in Banach Space Theory19 Jul 2026
- 2026From Solvers to Research: Large Language Model-Driven Formal Mathematics at the Research Frontier8 Jul 2026
- 2026AI-Assisted Discovery of Convex Relaxations via Dual Agents30 Jun 2026
- 2026Code evolution for link prediction in complex networks18 Jun 2026
- 2026REVES: REvision and VErification--Augmented Training for Test-Time Scaling17 Jun 2026
- 2026Visored: A Controlled-Natural-Language Prover for LLM-Generated Mathematics16 Jun 2026
- 2026Stable Menus of Public Goods: AI-Enabled Progress15 Jun 2026
- 2026Flood and Harvest: The Provable Necessity of Trivia for Generating Valuable Mathematics via the Lens of Language Generation in the Limit12 Jun 2026
- 2026Artificial Intelligence for Mathematical Reasoning: An Integrated Survey of Language Models, Neuro-symbolic Systems, and Verified Discovery7 Jun 2026
- 2026How reliable are LLMs when it comes to playing dice?5 Jun 2026
- 2026MLEvolve: A Self-Evolving Framework for Automated Machine Learning Algorithm Discovery4 Jun 2026
- 2026Reasoning4Sciences: Bridging Reasoning Language Models to All Scientific Branches31 May 2026
- 2026GPU Forecasters: Language Models as Selective Surrogates for Kernel Runtime Optimization29 May 2026
- 2026Learning to Solve and Optimize by Evolving Code29 May 2026
- 2026Advancing Mathematics Research with AI-Driven Formal Proof Search21 May 2026
- 2026What Do Evolutionary Coding Agents Evolve?19 May 2026
- 2026SMCEvolve: Principled Scientific Discovery via Sequential Monte Carlo Evolution14 May 2026
- 2026GRAFT-ATHENA: Self-Improving Agentic Teams for Autonomous Discovery and Evolutionary Numerical Algorithms11 May 2026
- 2026LEVI: Stronger Search Architectures Can Substitute for Larger LLMs in Evolutionary Search10 May 2026
- 2026Intentmaking and Sensemaking: Human Interaction with AI-Guided Mathematical Discovery7 May 2026
- 2026Grokability in five inequalities6 May 2026
- 2026Beyond Benchmarks: MathArena as an Evaluation Platform for Mathematics with LLMs1 May 2026
- 2026Heterogeneous Scientific Foundation Model Collaboration30 Apr 2026
- 2026pAI/MSc: ML Theory Research with Humans on the Loop22 Apr 2026
- 2026Structured Scaling of AI Discovery Across Diverse Scientific Domains21 Apr 2026
- 2026LLM Framework for Discovering Major Mathematical Conjectures: AI's Quest for the Next Riemann Hypothesis19 Apr 2026
- 2026SPS: Steering Probability Squeezing for Better Exploration in Reinforcement Learning for Large Language Models18 Apr 2026
- 2026EVIL: Evolving Interpretable Algorithms for Zero-Shot Inference on Event Sequences and Time Series with LLMs17 Apr 2026
- 2026k-server-bench: Automating Potential Discovery for the k-Server Conjecture8 Apr 2026
- 2026LiveMathematicianBench: A Live Benchmark for Research-Level Mathematical Reasoning with Proof Sketches2 Apr 2026
- 2026Computer Architecture's AlphaZero Moment: Automated Discovery in an Encircled World31 Mar 2026
- 2026Automated near-term quantum algorithm discovery for molecular ground states27 Mar 2026
- 2026Automated Membership Inference Attacks (AutoMIA): Discovering MIA Signal Computations using LLM Agents19 Mar 2026
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- 2025ATHENA: Agentic Team for Hierarchical Evolutionary Numerical Algorithmscited by 7
- 2026ArchAgent: Agentic AI-driven Computer Architecture Discoverycited by 6
- 2026GRAFT-ATHENA: Self-Improving Agentic Teams for Autonomous Discovery and Evolutionary Numerical Algorithmscited by 6
- 2026The Agentic Researcher: A Practical Guide to AI-Assisted Research in Mathematics and Machine Learningcited by 4
- 2026What Do Evolutionary Coding Agents Evolve?cited by 3
- 2026AI-Assisted Discovery of Convex Relaxations via Dual Agentscited by 2
- 2026Heterogeneous Scientific Foundation Model Collaborationcited by 1
- 2026Stellar Colosseum: A Many-Agent Harness for Long-Horizon Research in Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Sciencecited by 1
- 2026MILO: Automated Harness Discovery via Orchestrated Multi-Agent Evolutioncited by 1
- 2026Automated Membership Inference Attacks (AutoMIA): Discovering MIA Signal Computations using LLM Agentscited by 0
- 2026GPU Forecasters: Language Models as Selective Surrogates for Kernel Runtime Optimizationcited by 0
- 2026HeurEvo: Agentic Evolution of Hybrid Solver-Augmented Heuristics for Time-Critical Mathematical Optimizationcited by 0
12 most cited of 14 All 14 (JSON)
- 2026When Algorithmic Exploration Becomes Cheap: A Case Study of Agentic Research in EDA7 Oct 2026
- 2026Cogentic: Multi-Agent Orchestration for Automated Proof Discovery30 Sep 2026
- 2026MILO: Automated Harness Discovery via Orchestrated Multi-Agent Evolution29 Sep 2026
- 2026HeurEvo: Agentic Evolution of Hybrid Solver-Augmented Heuristics for Time-Critical Mathematical Optimization28 Sep 2026
- 2026Stellar Colosseum: A Many-Agent Harness for Long-Horizon Research in Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science14 Sep 2026
- 2026AI-Assisted Discovery of Convex Relaxations via Dual Agents30 Jun 2026
- 2026GPU Forecasters: Language Models as Selective Surrogates for Kernel Runtime Optimization29 May 2026
- 2026What Do Evolutionary Coding Agents Evolve?19 May 2026
- 2026GRAFT-ATHENA: Self-Improving Agentic Teams for Autonomous Discovery and Evolutionary Numerical Algorithms11 May 2026
- 2026Heterogeneous Scientific Foundation Model Collaboration30 Apr 2026
- 2026Automated Membership Inference Attacks (AutoMIA): Discovering MIA Signal Computations using LLM Agents19 Mar 2026
- 2026The Agentic Researcher: A Practical Guide to AI-Assisted Research in Mathematics and Machine Learning16 Mar 2026
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- 2026A Survey of Agentic Reasoning for Large Language Models: Towards Recursively Self-Improving and Collective Agentscited by 50
- 2026Advancing Mathematics Research with AI-Driven Formal Proof Searchcited by 23
- 2026Measuring Progress in Reasoning Toward Mathematical Discovery with Automatic Verificationcited by 9
- 2026LiveMathematicianBench: A Live Benchmark for Research-Level Mathematical Reasoning with Proof Sketchescited by 5
- 2025LLMs, Reasoning and Plagiarismcited by 2
- 2026Judging What We Cannot Solve: A Consequence-Based Approach for Oracle-Free Evaluation of Research-Level Mathcited by 1
- 2026Artificial Intelligence for Mathematical Reasoning: An Integrated Survey of Language Models, Neuro-symbolic Systems, and Verified Discoverycited by 1
- 2026Early Evidence of Vibe-Proving with Consumer LLMs: A Case Study on Spectral Region Characterization with ChatGPT-5.2 (Thinking)cited by 0
- 2026Reasoning4Sciences: Bridging Reasoning Language Models to All Scientific Branchescited by 0
- 2026How reliable are LLMs when it comes to playing dice?cited by 0
- 2026REVES: REvision and VErification--Augmented Training for Test-Time Scalingcited by 0
- 2026REVES: REvision and VErification--Augmented Training for Test-Time Scaling17 Jun 2026
- 2026Artificial Intelligence for Mathematical Reasoning: An Integrated Survey of Language Models, Neuro-symbolic Systems, and Verified Discovery7 Jun 2026
- 2026How reliable are LLMs when it comes to playing dice?5 Jun 2026
- 2026Reasoning4Sciences: Bridging Reasoning Language Models to All Scientific Branches31 May 2026
- 2026Advancing Mathematics Research with AI-Driven Formal Proof Search21 May 2026
- 2026LiveMathematicianBench: A Live Benchmark for Research-Level Mathematical Reasoning with Proof Sketches2 Apr 2026
- 2026Measuring Progress in Reasoning Toward Mathematical Discovery with Automatic Verification16 Mar 2026
- 2026Early Evidence of Vibe-Proving with Consumer LLMs: A Case Study on Spectral Region Characterization with ChatGPT-5.2 (Thinking)21 Feb 2026
- 2026Judging What We Cannot Solve: A Consequence-Based Approach for Oracle-Free Evaluation of Research-Level Math6 Feb 2026
- 2026A Survey of Agentic Reasoning for Large Language Models: Towards Recursively Self-Improving and Collective Agents18 Jan 2026
- 2025LLMs, Reasoning and Plagiarism18 Dec 2025
- 2026Building Production-Ready Probes For Geminicited by 47
- 2026Building Production-Ready Probes For Gemini16 Jan 2026
- 2026Beyond Benchmarks: MathArena as an Evaluation Platform for Mathematics with LLMscited by 137
- 2025ThetaEvolve: Test-time Learning on Open Problemscited by 64
- 2026EvoX: Meta-Evolution for Automated Discoverycited by 60
- 2026Towards Autonomous Mathematics Researchcited by 40
- 2026DeltaEvolve: Accelerating Scientific Discovery through Momentum-Driven Evolutioncited by 26
- 2026Structured Scaling of AI Discovery Across Diverse Scientific Domainscited by 21
- 2026Dream-RSI: Recursive Self-Improvement through Evolving Worldscited by 18
- 2025AgenticSciML: Collaborative Multi-Agent Systems for Emergent Discovery in Scientific Machine Learningcited by 14
- 2025GigaEvo: An Open Source Optimization Framework Powered By LLMs And Evolution Algorithmscited by 11
- 2026Simple Baselines are Competitive with Code Evolutioncited by 9
- 2026Reinforced Generation of Combinatorial Structures: Ramsey Numberscited by 9
- 2026LEVI: Stronger Search Architectures Can Substitute for Larger LLMs in Evolutionary Searchcited by 6
12 most cited of 48 All 48 (JSON)
- 2026HarnessTTT: Learn to Optimize Harness at Test-Time for Scientific Discovery12 Oct 2026
- 2026AI Discovery in Combinatorics: From Problems to Solutions and Back to Bigger Problems12 Oct 2026
- 2026Which Skill to Distill? SGUID: Selecting a Compact Skill Bank for Model-Skill Co-Evolution8 Oct 2026
- 2026When Does Structured Knowledge Help Neural Theorem Proving?28 Sep 2026
- 2026LANTERN: Illuminating Hidden Mathematical Knowledge in Language Models26 Sep 2026
- 2026Xeno-Interpretability: Investigating the Alien Minds of LLMs17 Sep 2026
- 2026Dream-RSI: Recursive Self-Improvement through Evolving Worlds14 Sep 2026
- 2026FLARE: Verifying MILP Reformulations with LLM-Based Theorem Proving25 Aug 2026
- 2026Autonomous Mathematical Discovery in an Open-World Multi-Agent Environment24 Aug 2026
- 2026Six misconceptions about large language models: A minimal model and diagnostic taxonomy19 Aug 2026
- 2026MECA: A Mechanism-Centered Agent for Constructing Well-Specified and Valuable Mathematical Conjectures30 Jul 2026
- 2026Mathematical Discovery in the Wild: AI-Guided Proofs in Banach Space Theory19 Jul 2026
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