Article
Claude completes the task 9 A breakthrough in frontier physics computing; experts initially thought direct calculation was too difficult
According to Beating AI news, Anthropic disclosed that Claude Fable 5.1 completed a nine-loop theoretical particle-physics calculation in Claude Science, calculating the six-particle scattering amplitude in planar N=4 super-Yang–Mills theory. Scattering amplitudes are used to calculate the probability of particle interactions. The higher the number of loops, the more corrections are added and the more difficult the calculation becomes. This specific problem had previously been publicly completed to eight loops.
Humans did not participate hands-on this time. Two Anthropic physicists first told Claude what to calculate, then mainly let it continue working, asking it to report progress every 4 to 6 hours. Claude ultimately calculated the result using two different approaches. The direct approach used Python and SymPy, running on 96 CPU for 1 weeks, at a computing cost of approximately 100 USD; including the cost of calling Claude for extended periods, a complete run of one approach cost approximately 1000 to 2000 USD.
The result was subsequently independently verified by SLAC, a Stanford physicist who had participated in the earlier eight-loop research. Dixon said he had initially thought that a nine-loop amplitude would be very difficult to calculate directly. Claude also did not invent a new physics method; it mainly carried out in full the methods, constraints, and extensive tedious calculations previously established by researchers.
Meanwhile, the team of He Song at the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences also independently advanced to nine loops with the assistance of GPT-6, and has already obtained most of the result.
Original link https://m.theblockbeats.info/flash/369068