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Conjecture

Cycle Double Cover Conjecture

Combinatorics

The cycle double cover conjecture, posed in the 1970s by W. T. Tutte and independently by others including Paul Seymour, asks whether every bridgeless graph has a cycle double cover, a collection of cycles that together cover each edge of the graph exactly twice. A July 2026 preprint from OpenAI claimed a positive resolution, attributed to their GPT-5.6 model, a claim not yet independently confirmed.

Facts
Partially Attested
Progress Toward Resolution
In July 2026 OpenAI announced a claimed proof found by its GPT-5.6 Sol Ultra model, with a released three-page proof and Lean formalization. 1
The July 2026 claimed proof by OpenAI was announced with a Lean formalization but independent confirmation is not established here.
Prize Status
Prize Status (category)
No Prize Offered 1
Statement
Whether every bridgeless graph has a cycle double cover, a collection of cycles covering each edge exactly twice. 1
Classification
Resolution Status
Proven 1
Chronology
Resolved Year
2026 1
Connections

Posed By

Source Cycle Double Cover (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Cycle Double Cover (Wikipedia)
  • Lead section
    whether every bridgeless graph has a cycle double cover
  • Recent developments
    OpenAI announced on Twitter that their GPT-5.6 Sol Ultra large language model had found a proof of the conjecture
  • Posed By: W. T. Tutte, Lead paragraph
    It is a problem posed in the 1970s by W. T. Tutte, Itai and Rodeh, George Szekeres and Paul Seymour and known as the cycle double cover conjecture, whether every bridgeless
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