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Exact quantum factoring over a fixed finite gate set

OpenAI groups related papers into a “family”. OpenAI’s catalogue describes this one:

Gives a polynomial-time uniform quantum circuit family that outputs the complete prime factorization of every integer with probability one. Both gate count and qubit count are polynomial in the input length, and one fixed finite gate set suffices. (OpenAI’s Lean note)

Lean is a language for mathematical statements and proofs that a computer can verify. The assessments below ask whether those statements express the result OpenAI describes here.

Both independent assessments find that the Lean statements express or imply the whole result described above. Read the assessments

The paper states

Theorem 1.1

In Exact quantum factoring over a fixed finite gate set, 25 September 2026

Possible match to OpenAI’s description, selected from the papers’ main statements because it shares the most wording. No review confirming the selection is recorded.

There is a polynomial-time uniform family of polynomial-size quantum circuits that outputs the complete prime factorization of every input integer N\ge2 with probability one. The number of gates and qubits is bounded by a fixed polynomial in the bit length of N. One fixed finite gate set suffices: NOT, CNOT, Toffoli, Hadamard, \operatorname{diag}(1,i), their inverses, and their singly controlled versions.

Reported proof verification
One Lean statement in the release; two independent groups report that Comparator accepted runs for this file at the version shown here.

Papers

Each paper opens as a reading page in the browser, with the PDF beside it. The statements each paper opens with are on its reading page.

Exact quantum factoring over a fixed finite gate set

25 September 2026, current edition.

Read it herePDF

We give a polynomial-time uniform quantum circuit family that outputs the complete prime factorization of every integer N ≥ 2 with probability one. A fixed finite set of bounded-arity gates suffices, and both the gate count and the number of qubits have polynomial worst-case bounds in the input length.

One Lean statement in this family

Lean is a language for mathematical statements and proofs that a computer can verify. The Lean statement below is shown beside its possible paper counterpart, with the reason they were linked.

For a configured theorem, the Comparator program tests whether OpenAI’s separate proof proves the exact Lean statement using only the allowed axioms. Some statement files instead configure definitions for comparison by name and type. Acceptance does not establish that a formal statement means the same thing as the paper’s theorem.

ExactQuantumFactoring

The paper states

Theorem 1.1

In Exact quantum factoring over a fixed finite gate set, 25 September 2026

There is a polynomial-time uniform family of polynomial-size quantum circuits that outputs the complete prime factorization of every input integer N\ge2 with probability one. The number of gates and qubits is bounded by a fixed polynomial in the bit length of N. One fixed finite gate set suffices: NOT, CNOT, Toffoli, Hadamard, \operatorname{diag}(1,i), their inverses, and their singly controlled versions.

The Lean source’s comment reads: /-- Source Theorem 1.1 (thm:main): exact factoring over the fixed gate set, with a single finite-alphabet polynomial-time length-uniform generator and polynomial worst-case gate and qubit counts. -/

The Lean statement whose source cites this theorem

The Lean source cites this theorem. No review of whether the statements mean the same thing is recorded.

Exact quantum factoring over a fixed finite gate set

ExactQuantumFactoring.lean, the release lists it as a supporting statement.

def MainTheorem : Prop :=  ∃ family : ℕ → Circuit, Uniform family ∧ PolynomialResources family ∧    ∀ (ℓ N : ℕ), 2 ≤ N → N.size = ℓ →      ℓ + (paddedLength ℓ)^2 ≤ (family ℓ).qubits ∧      (family ℓ).correctProbability ℓ N = 1theorem exact_quantum_factoring : MainTheorem := by  sorry

This file states the theorem with sorry, a placeholder, in place of its proof. OpenAI supplies a separate proof file. Comparator tests whether that proof proves the statement here.

two independent groups report that Comparator accepted runs for this Lean statement file: cert-machine; MathVet. Who ran the proof-verification program

  • cert-machine records it as “CERTIFIED”.
  • MathVet records it as “comparator-sandboxed-pass”.

Read the complete Lean statement

Independent comparisons and proof-verification reports

Does the Lean express the advertised result?

MathVet and cert-machine agree on how much of the advertised result the Lean statements express.

MathVet and Carlos Toledo’s cert-machine independently assessed whether this family’s Lean statements express the whole result OpenAI describes in its catalogue. These are assessments of the family as a whole, not of each paper theorem separately.

MathVet finds that the Lean statements express or imply the whole advertised result (their term: “full”).

Their note: exact_quantum_factoring : MainTheorem := ∃ family : ℕ → Circuit, Uniform family ∧ PolynomialResources family ∧ ∀ ℓ N, 2 ≤ N → N.size = ℓ → ℓ + (paddedLength ℓ)^2 ≤ (family ℓ).qubits ∧ (family ℓ).correctProbability ℓ N = 1 over a fixed 20-gate set (NOT/CNOT/Toffoli/Hadamard/phase with optional inverse and one control), where correctProbability is the exact Born probability of outputting the sorted prime factorization with multiplicities (CorrectEncoding) and Uniform uses a Mathlib TM2ComputableInPolyTime generator with finite alphabets. Matches the summary (exact, polynomial gates and qubits, fixed finite gate set).

Definitions the group asks readers to compare with the paper: Hand-built circuit model: Gate := (primitive, inverse, controlled), Primitive.matrix entries on List Bool, Instruction.matrix, Circuit.apply := foldl over instructions; the polynomial-time notion is Mathlib’s TM2ComputableInPolyTime applied to unary input replicate ℓ true with Finite (Γ k), which is standard; the quantum gate semantics are written by hand.

“full”, in their words: The challenge statements imply the headline claim after unpacking definitions or one routine step.

Their method: An independent, model-assisted, pre-referee reading of each family’s challenge statements against its headline claim under a published rubric (PROTOCOL.md), with its own Comparator runs per challenge.

cert-machine finds that the Lean statements express or imply the whole advertised result (their term: “MATCHES”).

“MATCHES”, in their words: The challenge statements state the headline as OpenAI wrote it.

Their method: Every Comparator challenge re-run on Linux with nanoda switched on, decided by a preregistered rule.

OpenAI’s own note on what its Lean covers

The formalization constructs a polynomial-time uniform quantum circuit family that outputs the complete prime factorization of every integer $N\ge2$ with probability exactly one. The circuits use one fixed finite set of bounded-arity gates, and both the gate count and number of qubits have polynomial worst-case bounds in the bit length of $N$. The probability-one conclusion is exact, rather than an asymptotic or bounded-error guarantee.

AI-drafted comparisons, with no recorded human review

  • Exact quantum factoring over a fixed finite gate set ExactQuantumFactoring

    Unreviewed AI draft: states a paper’s theorem as the paper does. States the main theorem: a polynomial-time uniform quantum circuit family over a fixed finite gate set that outputs the prime factorisation of every N ≥ 2 with probability exactly one.

Who ran the proof-verification program?

These groups report running Comparator with the release’s Lean statement files. For a configured theorem, it verifies OpenAI’s separate proof against the exact statement; some files instead configure definitions for comparison by name and type. Each row is the named group’s report. Atlas has not repeated the runs.

These reports do not list the software versions, proof-verification programs, axioms, time or memory in separate fields. Any such details in a report’s prose are reproduced below.

Exact quantum factoring over a fixed finite gate set ExactQuantumFactoring

Two reports, all at the release’s recorded version.

Reported byTheir wordTheir accountDateOriginal report
cert-machine“CERTIFIED”Re-run through Comparator with the independent nanoda kernel switched on: Lean’s kernel and nanoda both accept OpenAI’s solution.10 October 2026Original report
MathVet“comparator-sandboxed-pass”Re-run through Comparator in a sandboxed virtual machine: accepted.8 October 2026Original report

Explanations by others

Explanations of this family written elsewhere, by the people named. Each is their own reading of the mathematics.

  • seaworld008, seaworld008/openai-math-top30: thirty selected families explained in Chinese, 7 October 2026. Source

    Chinese-language explainer for general readers, with a beginner’s section, a specialist section, background on why the problem was hard and a diagram; it ends by saying it paraphrases OpenAI’s summary and does not represent consensus.

  • Yixin Ma, OpenAI mathematical physics, 25 families: a Chinese guided reading, 7 October 2026. Source

    Chinese guided reading of this family that compares the manuscripts’ main theorems with their abstracts and flags boundary conditions and limit orders that change the physical reading; drafted with Codex and not a re-proof.

What these papers cite in the release, and what cites them

These links come from the papers’ bibliographies. A citation records that one paper cites another; how each cited result is used has not been examined here.

Papers elsewhere in the release that this family’s papers cite

This family’s papers cite no paper elsewhere in the release.

Papers elsewhere in the release that cite this family’s papers

No paper elsewhere in the release cites this family’s papers.

References outside the release

Each paper’s outside references are listed with it on its reading page, where each citation is placed. Every outside work cited in the release: References outside the release

Explain a result, compare statements or propose a correction

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What people have said

Commentary on this family by others, dated and credited. It is commentary, not a finding.

  • An unsigned public tier list, the OpenAI Math Tier List, classes it as a algorithm and rates its significance, if it holds up, as “Solid publication, could lead to tenure”. The page says that nothing on it is verified.

    Author not stated. Source

Questions awaiting review

Each item identifies a statement, definition or report that needs further review. Its link opens a GitHub form with the source version already recorded.

Read the Lean statement against the paper

  • An AI agent drafted an assessment of which part of the paper this Lean statement expresses. No named human review is recorded. Open the form

Identify the theorem the catalogue describes

  • Family 279 The theorem shown was selected from shared wording with OpenAI’s description. Atlas records no review confirming that it is the theorem the description means. Open the form

Address a question raised in an independent assessment

Compare the proposed paper and Lean matches

  • Family 279 Atlas records no review of whether each linked Lean statement and paper theorem mean the same thing. Open the form