Claude computes a nine-loop amplitude in N=4 super-Yang-Mills, physicist Matt von Hippel recounts the challenge

Claude 完成 N=4 超对称 Yang-Mills 九圈振幅计算，物理学家 Matt von Hippel 复盘挑战始末

Physicist Matt von Hippel publicly challenged AI companies to compute a nine-loop scattering amplitude in N=4 super-Yang-Mills using only academic-scale compute. Anthropic's Claude pulled it off within a month. Von Hippel explains his choice: more loops mean exponentially harder computation, and nine loops was a known frontier. Claude used a bootstrap method—like solving Sudoku by eliminating impossibilities. The post doesn't disclose the exact compute budget, runtime, or cross-checks against known lower-loop results. I'd treat this as a targeted engineering demo rather than an autonomous theory breakthrough for now.

Why it matters: Published on Anthropic's official blog with a first-person account from the challenger himself, giving it high credibility. Claude completed a nine-loop amplitude calculation — a hard academic task — within one month, providing a concrete capability demo. Deductions: the post ...