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Kirchberg’s \(\mathcal O_2\) norm-ultrapower embedding problem

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

Constructs an explicit separable unital full group C∗-algebra that cannot embed unitally into the norm ultrapower of any fixed nonzero unital nuclear C∗-algebra, for any free ultrafilter on the natural numbers. Taking the target to be \(\mathcal O_2\) answers Kirchberg’s norm-ultrapower embedding problem negatively. (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 An explicit obstruction to nuclear norm-ultrapower embeddings, 23 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.

Let

G=\Z[1/2]^3\rtimes\bigl(\SL_3(\Z)\times\Z\bigr), \qquad (M,k)\cdot v=2^kMv,

and let A=C^*(G) be its full group C^*-algebra. Then A is separable and unital. For every nonzero unital nuclear C^*-algebra B and every free ultrafilter \omega on \N, there is no unital embedding

A\longrightarrow B^\omega.

In particular, A does not embed unitally into \Otwo^\omega.

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

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An explicit obstruction to nuclear norm-ultrapower embeddings

23 September 2026, current edition.

Read it herePDF

We give a negative answer to Kirchberg’s norm-ultrapower embedding problem. We construct an explicit separable unital full group C∗-algebra that admits no unital embedding into Bω, for any nonzero unital nuclear C∗-algebra B and any free ultrafilter ω on ℕ. In particular, it does not embed unitally into \(\mathcal O_2^\omega\).

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.

NuclearUltrapower

The paper states

Theorem 1.1

In An explicit obstruction to nuclear norm-ultrapower embeddings, 23 September 2026

Let

G=\Z[1/2]^3\rtimes\bigl(\SL_3(\Z)\times\Z\bigr), \qquad (M,k)\cdot v=2^kMv,

and let A=C^*(G) be its full group C^*-algebra. Then A is separable and unital. For every nonzero unital nuclear C^*-algebra B and every free ultrafilter \omega on \N, there is no unital embedding

A\longrightarrow B^\omega.

In particular, A does not embed unitally into \Otwo^\omega.

The words they share: embedding, nonzero, group, full, sl, nuclear, algebra, unital, ultrafilter, free, omega, separable, ultrapower, norm, explicit, particular, unitally, embed.

Possible Lean counterpart

Selected from shared wording. No review of whether the statements mean the same thing is recorded.

Obstruction to nuclear norm-ultrapower embeddings

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

theorem main_no_embedding : MainStatementWithCuntzCorollary.{0} := 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: MathVet; Neal McBurnett, openai-math-lean-tooling. Who ran the proof-verification program

  • MathVet records it as “comparator-pass”.
  • Neal McBurnett, openai-math-lean-tooling records it as “accepted”.

Read the complete Lean statement

Other mathematical statements in OpenAI’s Lean library

Atlas found these propositions by scanning the text of the project’s Model.lean file. Each name links to its definition, with any associated statement file beside it. This list does not record running Lean to interpret or verify those definitions.

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: main_no_embedding : MainStatementWithCuntzCorollary states: there is a separable unital C*-algebra A with ι : G →* unitary A satisfying the universal property of the FULL group C*-algebra of G = (ℤ[1/2])³ ⋊ (SL₃(ℤ) × ℤ) (IsFullGroupAlgebra), and for every nonzero unital nuclear B (nuclear = min and max C*-tensor norms agree on B ⊗ C for all C) and every free ultrafilter ω on ℕ there is no injective unital *-homomorphism A →⋆ₐ[ℂ] NormUltrapower B ω; the same for the universal Cuntz algebra O₂. Exactly the summary, including the O₂ corollary.

Definitions the group asks readers to compare with the paper: Hand-built objects: NormUltrapower B ω := (ultraCon B ω).Quotient (bounded sequences modulo ω-null), nuclearity via minTensorNorm/maxTensorNorm defined as sSup over representations on Hilbert spaces of one universe, IsFullGroupAlgebra (dense span + universal property), IsCuntzTwoAlgebra (two Cuntz isometries). Standard formulations, but none is a Mathlib notion, and the tensor-norm sSups are real-valued.

“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

Kirchberg’s norm-ultrapower embedding problem asks whether separable $C^*$-algebras embed into norm ultrapowers of nuclear algebras. The formalization constructs an explicit separable unital full group $C^*$-algebra that has no unital embedding into $B^\omega$ for any nonzero unital nuclear $C^*$-algebra $B$ and any free ultrafilter $\omega$ on $\mathbb N$. In particular, it does not embed unitally into an ultrapower of the Cuntz algebra $\mathcal O_2$.

AI-drafted comparisons, with no recorded human review

  • Obstruction to nuclear norm-ultrapower embeddings NuclearUltrapower

    Unreviewed AI draft: states a paper’s theorem as the paper does. States the main theorem: the full group C*-algebra of Z[1/2]³ ⋊ (SL₃(Z) × Z) embeds unitally in no norm ultrapower of a nonzero unital nuclear algebra, in particular not in one of O₂.

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.

Obstruction to nuclear norm-ultrapower embeddings NuclearUltrapower

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

Reported byTheir wordTheir accountDateOriginal report
cert-machine“REFUSED”Re-run through Comparator did not reach a verdict (the job ended (failure) in the step "comparator, Lean’s kernel and nanoda" without uploading a result: the runner terminated it (GitHub: Process completed with exit code 143.)).10 October 2026Original report
MathVet“comparator-pass”Re-run through Comparator: accepted.10 October 2026Original report
Neal McBurnett, openai-math-lean-tooling“accepted”Re-run through Comparator with Lean’s kernel: accepted (the check took 1817 s; peak memory 19.6 GiB).11 October 2026Original report

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

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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 counterexample 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

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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 292 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 292 Atlas records no review of whether each linked Lean statement and paper theorem mean the same thing. Open the form