Two independent papers posted a day apart have provided the first counterexamples to Harold Grad's 1967 claim that smooth 3D plasma equilibria cannot exist without constant pressure or symmetry. Researchers identified three families of counterexamples to the theory, two of which were found using the GPT-6 Astra model. The discovery provides a mathematical breakthrough with direct implications for the development of stellarators in fusion energy.

The findings resulted from work by researchers Carlo and Mark, who established a new connection between two previously unrelated theoretical communities. This analytical bridge allowed the team to prove a foundational physics fact that the original authors of the conjecture had not identified, demonstrating the potential for AI to solve complex, long standing problems in theoretical physics.