Geneva, Switzerland — October 5, 2026 — The Office of Justin Sun today announced the latest winners of the Justin Sun Prize: independent researcher Wouter van Doorn, mathematics Ph.D. student Quanyu Tang, and mathematics researcher Yanyang Li of Southeast University in Nanjing. They were recognized for contributions to six Erdős problems.
Wouter van Doorn is an independent number theorist who started researching mathematics as an undergraduate in 2010 and continued collaborating and publishing after leaving academia with a master’s degree. Quanyu Tang (汤泉宇) is a mathematics Ph.D. student at the University of Science and Technology of China whose research covers number theory, combinatorics, and AI-assisted mathematical discovery.
Erdős problems are mathematical questions posed or popularized by Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős about numbers, patterns, and other mathematical structures. They are often simple to state but hard to solve, and they have helped shape research in number theory and combinatorics, with some remaining open for decades. The Erdős catalog, compiled and maintained by Thomas Bloom, a mathematician and Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, contains more than 1,200 problems.
Van Doorn and Tang worked with Yanyang Li from Southeast University’s School of Mathematics in Nanjing to solve Erdős Problem #650, determining exactly how many integers can always be matched to distinct multiples within a specified interval. Van Doorn also produced computer-checkable proofs in Lean, software for verifying mathematical reasoning, for #369, concerning consecutive integers with restricted prime factors; #457, about whether a short run of consecutive integers can collectively contain every prime in a given range; and #469, concerning whether the reciprocals of a special class of numbers expressible as sums of their divisors add to a finite total. Tang separately resolved #1044, establishing a sharp lower limit for boundary lengths of regions defined by polynomials, and contributed alongside Li to a wider team’s solution of #1196, bounding weighted sums over sets of integers in which no member divides another.
Their work on #650 offers a concrete example of how human judgment and AI can complement each other. ChatGPT helped develop the proof strategy, while Aristotle, an AI system for mathematical reasoning, repaired a gap during Lean formalization. The researchers then simplified the argument and wrote the final proofs and exposition.
“This experience taught me how public feedback can sharpen a research question, and how AI-assisted discovery can combine mathematical judgment, collaboration and rigorous verification,” Tang said.
These are the program’s first confirmed awards, recognizing both mathematical discovery and the work needed to make proofs independently checkable. Information about the Justin Sun Prize, its problem catalog, and recipient contributions is available through the program’s public GitHub repository. Prizes will be paid in either USDT on TRON (TRC-20) or USDC on Ethereum (ERC-20), based on the recipient’s choice. For more information, please visit www.hejustinsun.com/prize.
About the Office of Justin Sun
The Office of Justin Sun supports Justin Sun’s global business, philanthropic, and public initiatives across technology, blockchain, artificial intelligence, scientific research, investment, art, and space exploration.
Justin Sun is the Ambassador and former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the World Trade Organization and the Founder of TRON. TRON is the leading blockchain for the stablecoin revolution, processing over $13 trillion in volume since its inception. In the world’s emerging markets, people rely on USDT on TRON to access the global financial system.
A protégé of Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Sun has been recognized internationally for his work in the digital asset industry, including a Forbes cover profile in April 2025 and multiple appearances on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. In AugustIn 2025, he flew on Blue Origin’s NS-34 mission, becoming the 712th person in history to travel to space. His wider interests include technology, investment, philanthropy, art, gaming, and space exploration. Office of Justin Sun Contact: info@hejustinsun.com About the Justin Sun Prize The Justin Sun Prize is an academic initiative founded by Justin Sun to support advances in mathematics, formal verification, and AI-assisted scientific discovery. The prize is decentralized and built on the principle that mathematical work should be judged by the strength, rigor, and verifiability of the proof itself, not by the prestige or reputation of those submitting it. Justin Sun established the prize in his own name as a long-term commitment to return wealth created through mathematics and technology back to mathematics itself. Its legacy is meant to be defined by the body of work it recognizes and the laureates whose discoveries stand the test of time. The prize connects clearly defined mathematical challenges to machine-verifiable proof. Its guiding principles are openness, public benefit, and open-source access. Visit https://www.hejustinsun.com/prize for more information. Contact: thejustinsunprize@hejustinsun.com
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs The New Round of the Justin Sun Prize for HumanAI Collaboration on Erds Problems
Q1 What is the Justin Sun Prize
Its an award funded by crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun that pays people for solving math problems especially ones tied to the famous Erds problems
Q2 What are Erds problems
Theyre a large collection of open math questions posed or popularized by the legendary Hungarian mathematician Paul Erds Many are simple to state but very hard to solve
Q3 Whats new about this round of the prize
This round specifically rewards solutions where a human and an AI worked togetherfor example a person using an AI model like ChatGPT or a proof assistant to crack a problem
Q4 Do I have to use AI to win
For this round yes The prize is aimed at humanAI collaboration so a purely human solution or a purely AIgenerated one may not qualify
Q5 What counts as humanAI collaboration
Any setup where a person and an AI system each contribute meaningfullysay the AI suggests proof steps and the human verifies corrects and refines them
Q6 Who can enter
Generally anyonestudents hobbyists or professional mathematicians Check the official rules for age residency or eligibility limits
Q7 How much is the prize
Prize amounts have varied by round and problem difficulty Check the official announcement for the exact figures
Q8 Which problems are eligible
Usually problems from the Erds problem databases or a specific list published with the prize Not every open problem qualifies
Q9 How do I submit a solution
Typically through an official submission form or email listed in the prize announcement with your proof and a description of how the AI was used
Q10 Does the AI have to be a specific tool
No most rounds allow any AI toollarge language models theorem provers or custom systemsas long as you document what you used
Q11 Do I need to explain the AIs role
Yes Organizers usually want a clear account of what the AI did versus what you did so the collaboration is transparent
Q12 What if the AIs answer is wrong
Thats on you The human is responsible for checking every step Un