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wtf is jacobian?

deancureton/jacobian — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

33LeanAudience · researcherComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

TL;DR

A computer-verified mathematical proof disproving the Jacobian conjecture with an explicit counterexample.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((jacobian))
    What it does
      Formal proof in Lean 4
      Disproves Jacobian conjecture
      Explicit counterexample
    Tech stack
      Lean 4
      Mathlib style proofs
      Lake build tool
    Use cases
      Study formal verification
      Reference for researchers
      Check the theorem yourself
    Audience
      Mathematicians
      Logicians
      Formal methods researchers

Code map

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Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Study a formally verified counterexample to a famous open conjecture.

REASON 2

Learn how mathematical proofs are structured and checked in Lean 4.

REASON 3

Verify the proof yourself by building it locally.

What's in the stack?

Lean 4Lake

How it stacks up

deancureton/jacobianmistralai/leanstralsafeverifygaearon/analysis-solutions
Stars333042
LanguageLeanLeanLean
Last pushed2025-09-23
MaintenanceQuiet
Setup difficultymoderatehardmoderate
Complexity3/55/54/5
Audienceresearcherresearcherresearcher

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires installing Lean 4 and the Lake build tool before running the verification commands.

No license information is provided in the README.

Wtf does this do

This repository holds a formally verified mathematical proof, written in the Lean 4 programming language. Lean is a tool mathematicians and computer scientists use to write proofs that a computer can check step by step, so there is no ambiguity about whether the logic actually holds together. The specific proof here answers a long standing open question in mathematics called the Jacobian conjecture. That conjecture asked whether a certain kind of polynomial transformation, one where a mathematical quantity called the Jacobian determinant equals one, is always reversible, or injective, no matter what number system you are working in. This project provides a counterexample: an explicit polynomial transformation of three dimensional space where the Jacobian determinant is one, but the transformation is not reversible, for any field. A field, in this context, is a number system with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, such as the real numbers or a finite set of numbers used in certain areas of computer science. The main result is stated as a formal theorem in the code, and the repository also includes a version tied to a specific numeric condition from the original counterexample, plus a version specialized to complex numbers. To verify the proof yourself, the README gives two commands to run: one that downloads a cache of prebuilt files, and one that builds and checks the whole proof. This project is aimed at mathematicians, logicians, and researchers interested in formal verification rather than general software developers. It does not include a wider library or reusable tools, just the counterexample itself and its proof. There is no license or additional documentation beyond what is described here, so anyone wanting to build on this work should reach out to the author directly.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Explain what the Jacobian conjecture states and why a counterexample matters.
Prompt 2
Walk me through how Lean 4 checks a mathematical proof line by line.
Prompt 3
Help me set up Lean 4 and Lake so I can build and verify this proof.
Prompt 4
Summarize what a Jacobian determinant is in plain English.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is jacobian?

A computer-verified mathematical proof disproving the Jacobian conjecture with an explicit counterexample.

What language is jacobian written in?

Mainly Lean. The stack also includes Lean 4, Lake.

What license does jacobian use?

No license information is provided in the README.

How hard is jacobian to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is jacobian for?

Mainly researcher.

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