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Four Colour Theorem: when machines first beat mathematicians

Original: The Four Colour Theorem: The first time machines mogged mathematicians

A new retrospective revisits the Four Colour Theorem, proved in 1976 with the help of a computer, arguing it marked the first time a machine delivered a result mathematicians could not verify by hand. The piece frames the controversy over the Appel-Haken proof as an early clash between human intuition and machine-assisted reasoning, echoing today's debates about AI in mathematics.

Why now: Ongoing anxiety and fascination about AI and computers replacing or surpassing human experts makes this historical episode resonate now

Four Colour TheoremKenneth AppelWolfgang HakenPessimists Archive

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