The Rundown Robotics: Nous Research’s AI takes on elite math exam

Nous Research’s AI takes on elite math exam

Image source: Nano Banana Pro / The Rundown

The Rundown: Nous Research just open-sourced Nomos 1, a new 30B parameter reasoning system that scored 87 out of 120 on the 2025 Putnam Contest — crushing rivals like Qwen 3 on one of the most prestigious collegiate math competitions.

The details:The system uses a two-phase approach: AI ‘workers’ solve and self-critique responses, with a tournament-style bracket then selecting the best submission.Nomos’ score would have placed second among nearly 4,000 human competitors last year, with the model earning eight perfect problem scores.Nous also released and open-sourced a reasoning harness — orchestration code that manages how the model solves problems.Running Qwen3 through the same harness and setup scored just 24/120, with the result showing gains coming from model training rather than the harness.

Why it matters: Not too long ago, even simple math problems were an issue for top AI systems —  and now, a small, open model is taking down a notoriously difficult exam. Between Nomos, AI helping conquer unsolved problems, and labs coming with gold medal-winning math models, the entire field looks ready for an AI-driven boom.
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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