---
title: ""Prof. Donald Knuth opened his new paper with "Shock! Shock!""
date: 2026-03-04
source: facebook
type: Archer T. Ships added a new photo.
---

# "Prof. Donald Knuth opened his new paper with "Shock! Shock!"

*March 4, 2026 · Facebook*

\"Prof. Donald Knuth opened his new paper with \"Shock! Shock!\"\
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Claude Opus 4.6 had just solved an open problem he\'d been working on for weeks â€" a graph decomposition conjecture from The Art of Computer Programming.\
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He named the paper \"Claude\'s Cycles.\"\
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31 explorations. \~1 hour. Knuth read the output, wrote the formal proof, and closed with: \"It seems I\'ll have to revise my opinions about generative AI one of these days.\"\
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The man who wrote the bible of computer science just said that. In a paper named after an AI.\"\
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EDIT: Paper is new. The video is background info for folks who don\'t know who Knuth is, and why his opinion is important

![](img/2026-03-04-fb-001-img01.webp){prof.="" donald="" opened="" new="" with="" \"shock!="" shock!\"="" claude="" opus="" 4.6="" had="" solved="" open="" problem="" he'd="" been="" working="" on="" weeks="" —="" graph="" decomposition="" conjecture="" from="" art="" programming.="" he="" \"claude's="" cycles.\"="" 31="" explorations.="" ~1="" hour.="" read="" output,="" formal="" proof,="" closed="" with:="" \"it="" seems="" i'll="" have="" to="" revise="" my="" opinions="" about="" generative="" ai="" one="" these="" days.\"="" man="" wrote="" bible="" of="" computer="" science="" just="" said="" that.="" in="" a="" named="" after="" an="" ai.\"="" edit:="" paper="" new.="" the="" video="" background="" info="" for="" folks="" don't="" know="" who="" knuth="" is,="" and="" why="" his="" opinion="" is="" important\"="" style="max-width:100%; margin:1em 0"}