x.com/jpburelle/status/2098739232407711995
1 correction found
Canceling the mathathon was stupid.
The Mathathon does not appear to have been canceled. Official Mathathon pages published after the controversy still list the event as scheduled for October 30–November 1, 2026; what changed publicly was OpenAI withdrawing its sponsorship.
Full reasoning
This sentence treats the Caltech Mathathon as if it had already been canceled. But the organizers' own September 10, 2026 response says they updated the event in response to criticism and explicitly states: Mathathon "begins with a 40-hour period from October 30th to November 1st". The official Mathathon site, still live on September 14, 2026, likewise says: "We are hosting Round 1 on October 30th to November 1st at Caltech."
Independent reporting also distinguishes between the event continuing and OpenAI withdrawing sponsorship. TechCrunch reported that "OpenAI withdrew its sponsorship of a math event at CalTech," and Gizmodo reported the same while adding a statement from organizers: "We do not anticipate that this will affect the event in any substantial way."
So the public record supports a narrower description: OpenAI pulled sponsorship, but the Mathathon itself was still scheduled to go ahead. Framing it as "Canceling the mathathon" misstates what had actually happened.
4 sources
- A response from Mathathon - Proofs and Prompts
We have therefore updated our public description and added additional requirements to second-round submissions... Mathathon begins with a 40-hour period from October 30th to November 1st...
- Caltech Mathathon
We are hosting Round 1 on October 30th to November 1st at Caltech.
- OpenAI's feud with mathematicians is only escalating | TechCrunch
On Thursday, OpenAI withdrew its sponsorship of a math event at CalTech after the company was criticized by researchers at the university.
- OpenAI Is Beefing With Mathematicians, Will No Longer Sponsor Caltech 'Mathathon'
We do not anticipate that this will affect the event in any substantial way, the Mathathon team told Gizmodo.