AI Discovers New Mathematical 'Singularities' in Fluid Equations, Advancing Million-Dollar Physics Problem

Jan 09, 2026
Quanta Magazine
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Summary

AI neural networks discover over a dozen new mathematical singularities in fluid equations, including the first-ever found in two-dimensional porous medium flow, bringing scientists significantly closer to solving the million-dollar Navier-Stokes problem through billion-times-more-precise computational methods that can detect previously impossible-to-find unstable mathematical breakdowns.

Key Points

  • Mathematicians use specially trained AI neural networks to discover new 'unstable' singularities in simplified fluid equations, marking the first time such delicate mathematical breakdowns are found in multi-dimensional fluid models
  • Researchers uncover over a dozen new singularity candidates across different fluid equation types, including four new unstable candidates in Euler equations and the first-ever singularities found in two-dimensional porous medium flow
  • The AI-powered discoveries bring scientists closer to solving the million-dollar Navier-Stokes problem by demonstrating that previously impossible-to-find unstable mathematical glitches can now be detected with billion-times-more-precise computational methods

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