Geneva, Switzerland — October 5, 2026 — The Office of Justin Sun today announced the newest recipients of the Justin Sun Prize: independent researcher Wouter van Doorn, mathematics Ph.D. student Quanyu Tang, and mathematics researcher Yanyang Li from Nanjing’s Southeast University, recognized for contributions spanning six Erdős problems.
Wouter van Doorn is an independent number theorist who began researching mathematics as an undergraduate in 2010 and continued collaborating and publishing after leaving academia following his 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 spans 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. Often simple to state but difficult to solve, 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, has more than 1200 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.
The prizes will be paid out 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 August 2025, he flew aboard Blue Origin’s NS-34 mission, becoming the 712th person in history to travel to space. His broader interests span technology, investment, philanthropy, art, gaming, and space exploration.
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About Justin Sun Prize
The Justin Sun Prize is an academic initiative established by Justin Sun to support advances in mathematics, formal verification, and AI-assisted scientific discovery. The prize is decentralized and built around the principle that mathematical work should be judged by the strength, rigor, and verifiability of the proof itself, not 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 intended to be defined by the body of work it recognizes and the laureates whose discoveries stand the test of time. The prize links clearly defined mathematical challenges to machine-verifiable proof. Its guiding principles are openness, public benefit and open-source access.
