Even Geniuses Make Math Mistakes: A Survey of 1,000+ Published Mathematical Errors Detected by Automated Structural Verification

We present the BOBSUM Error Registry, a curated dataset of over 1,000 published mathematical errors detected by an automated structural verification pipeline. BOBSUM operates as a mathematical truth detector: it encodes mathematical claims into a compact representation space and applies structural consistency tests including dimensional analysis, congruence checking, and algebraic simplification to determine whether a claim is internally self-consistent. The registry spans nearly four centuries of scientific publishing, from Pierre de Fermat's correspondence in 1640 to arXiv preprints submitted in 2026. Sources include 25 widely-used physics and mathematics textbooks, 11 arXiv preprints, and the published works of several Nobel laureates and Fields Medal recipients. Sign errors are the single most common failure mode. The verification service is publicly accessible at https://bobsums.com.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-05-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20139285
Primary Topic
Mathematics, Computing, and Information Processing
Type
preprint
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
preprint

Even Geniuses Make Math Mistakes: A Survey of 1,000+ Published Mathematical Errors Detected by Automated Structural Verification

Stephen Clark Kinney
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Mathematics, Computing, and Information Processing
preprint

Even Geniuses Make Math Mistakes: A Survey of 1,000+ Published Mathematical Errors Detected by Automated Structural Verification

Stephen Clark Kinney
preprint en

Abstract

We present the BOBSUM Error Registry, a curated dataset of over 1,000 published mathematical errors detected by an automated structural verification pipeline. BOBSUM operates as a mathematical truth detector: it encodes mathematical claims into a compact representation space and applies structural consistency tests including dimensional analysis, congruence checking, and algebraic simplification to determine whether a claim is internally self-consistent. The registry spans nearly four centuries of scientific publishing, from Pierre de Fermat's correspondence in 1640 to arXiv preprints submitted in 2026. Sources include 25 widely-used physics and mathematics textbooks, 11 arXiv preprints, and the published works of several Nobel laureates and Fields Medal recipients. Sign errors are the single most common failure mode. The verification service is publicly accessible at https://bobsums.com.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
ASE Holdings (United States) (US)
Mathematics, Computing, and Information Processing
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Even Geniuses Make Math Mistakes: A Survey of 1,000+ Published Mathematical Errors Detected by Automated Structural Verification — Stephen Clark Kinney · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS