Geneva, Switzerland — October 5, 2026 — The Office of Justin Sun announced today the inaugural recipients of the Justin Sun Prize, marking a significant milestone in recognizing breakthroughs at the intersection of classical mathematics, formal verification, and artificial intelligence. The honored researchers include independent number theorist Wouter van Doorn, mathematics Ph.D. student Quanyu Tang from the University of Science and Technology of China, and mathematics researcher Yanyang Li from Nanjing’s Southeast University. Together, the recipients were recognized for their monumental contributions spanning six historic mathematical challenges known as Erdős problems.
The announcement highlights a growing movement within the global scientific community to reward not only original mathematical discovery, but also the rigorous, labor-intensive process required to render proofs independently checkable and machine-verifiable. The inaugural awards reflect the core mission of the Justin Sun Prize: to support advancements in mathematics, formal verification, and AI-assisted scientific discovery while operating on the principle that mathematical work should be judged strictly by the strength, rigor, and verifiability of the proof itself, rather than the institutional prestige or academic reputation of those submitting it.
A Collaboration of Independent Scholarship and Advanced Technology
The awarded projects showcase a fascinating blend of traditional mathematical intuition, human collaboration, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Wouter van Doorn, an independent number theorist who began his academic research as an undergraduate in 2010 and continued publishing independently after completing his master’s degree, joined forces with Quanyu Tang and Yanyang Li to tackle some of the field’s most enduring puzzles.
Among their collective achievements is the successful resolution of Erdős Problem #650. The researchers determined exactly how many integers can always be matched to distinct multiples within a specified interval. What makes this breakthrough particularly notable is the methodology employed: the team utilized a hybrid approach combining human mathematical judgment and advanced artificial intelligence tools. ChatGPT was utilized to assist in developing the initial proof strategy, while Aristotle, a specialized AI system designed for mathematical reasoning, successfully repaired a critical gap during the formalization process in Lean—a specialized software environment used for verifying mathematical reasoning. Following these technological interventions, the researchers simplified the overall argument and authored the final proofs and exposition.
Reflecting on the experience, Tang noted how the collaborative process reshaped his understanding of modern research. The project demonstrated how public feedback can sharply refine an ambiguous research question, and how AI-assisted discovery can seamlessly blend human mathematical insight with rigorous computer verification.
Conquering Decades-Old Mathematical Puzzles
The Erdős problems, named after the legendary prolific Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős, consist of hundreds of mathematical questions posed or popularized throughout his lifetime concerning numbers, patterns, and complex mathematical structures. While often deceptively simple to state, these problems are notoriously difficult to solve. They have profoundly shaped the trajectory of modern research in number theory and combinatorics, with many remaining open for decades. The official catalog of these challenges, compiled and meticulously maintained by Thomas Bloom—a mathematician and Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Manchester—currently exceeds 1,200 active problems.
Beyond their joint work on #650, the recipients independently cracked several other stubborn entries in Bloom’s catalog. Van Doorn produced sophisticated, computer-checkable proofs in Lean for three separate challenges: Problem #369, which concerns consecutive integers with restricted prime factors; Problem #457, which investigates whether a short run of consecutive integers can collectively contain every prime in a given range; and Problem #469, which examines whether the reciprocals of a special class of numbers expressible as sums of their divisors add up to a finite total.
Meanwhile, Quanyu Tang independently resolved Problem #1044 by establishing a sharp lower limit for the boundary lengths of geometric regions defined by polynomials. In addition, Tang contributed alongside Yanyang Li to a wider team’s successful solution of Problem #1196, which establishes precise bounds for weighted sums over sets of integers in which no individual member divides another.
These accomplishments represent the first confirmed awards issued by the Justin Sun Prize program. The initiative aims to honor both foundational mathematical discovery and the meticulous engineering work necessary to translate complex human thoughts into independently verifiable digital proofs. Detailed information regarding the award program, its specific problem catalog, and the detailed contributions of the laureates has been made publicly accessible through the program’s public GitHub repository. In alignment with modern decentralized practices, the prize funds will be distributed in either USDT on TRON (TRC-20) or USDC on Ethereum (ERC-20), based entirely on the preference of each recipient.
About the Office of Justin Sun and the Prize Initiative
The Office of Justin Sun oversees the global business, philanthropic, and public initiatives of its founder across a diverse spectrum of sectors, including advanced technology, blockchain infrastructure, artificial intelligence, scientific research, global investment, fine art, and commercial space exploration.
Justin Sun, the founder of TRON and former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Grenada to the World Trade Organization, has established a prominent international profile within the digital asset and technology industries. TRON has emerged as a leading blockchain network for the global stablecoin revolution, having processed over $13 trillion in cumulative transaction volume since its inception. In numerous emerging markets worldwide, individuals and businesses rely heavily on USDT transactions executed on the TRON network to access stable components of the global financial system.
A protégé of Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Sun’s contributions to the digital economy have earned widespread international recognition, including a prominent cover profile in Forbes and repeated selections for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. His personal and professional pursuits extend far beyond finance, encompassing deep engagements in space exploration—highlighted by his August 2025 flight aboard Blue Origin’s NS-34 mission, which made him the 712th person in history to travel to space.
The Justin Sun Prize itself was established by Sun as a long-term personal commitment to reinvest wealth generated through technology and mathematics back into the foundational sciences. Designed to be decentralized and enduring, the initiative seeks to link clearly defined mathematical challenges directly to machine-verifiable proofs, ensuring that its legacy is defined by the objective strength of the work it champions.
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