Mathematical Discovery in the Wild: AI-Guided Proofs in Banach Space Theory

Antonio Acuaviva, Pablo Acuaviva

Every infinite-dimensional complex normed space has unit vectors separated by at least 1+ε for some ε>0 even after either vector is multiplied by any scalar of modulus one.

Sources for this record

What was already known

Classical Elton–Odell gave ordinary uniform separation. Toroidal separation >1 without a uniform margin and uniform toroidal results under added geometric assumptions were known.

AI involvement AI-autonomous

The model found two proofs for Tomasz Kania’s problem. Antonio and Pablo Acuaviva verified and edited the first proof, including the incomplete-space case.

The paper says the Part II proof search was fully model-driven and humans supplied no next lemma or intermediate mathematics; later human verification and editing do not erase that proof-generation autonomy.

Importance Notable

Extends ordinary Elton–Odell separation to a uniform toroidal bound without completeness or extra geometric assumptions.

Limitations

The authors manually verified the first model proof used in the paper. A second released model proof did not receive the same review.

Technical verification Formal (human)

The authors explicitly say the included first proof was manually verified; the unverified second proof is outside this assessment.

Formal checking

Manual review and editing of the included first proof

Checker
Antonio and Pablo Acuaviva
Scope
Theorem 5.1 uniform toroidal separation for all infinite-dimensional complex normed spaces
Basis
Reported by the linked checker
Evidence source

Checking a formal statement does not establish that it matches the original problem.

Human understanding Full

The authors explain the proof's Banach-space cases and distinguish the checked first proof from the second unverified method.

Correction and publication history

2026-10-18 · publication

Extends ordinary Elton–Odell separation to a uniform toroidal bound without completeness or extra geometric assumptions.

Read this published revision