Old and new apps, via modern coding agents(terrytao.wordpress.com)
438 points by subset 1 day ago | 128 comments
tl;dr: Terence Tao used AI coding agents to port two dozen old Java mathematical applets (from 1999) to JavaScript in a few hours, finding only one minor bug while the agent caught two pre-existing bugs in his original code. Encouraged by the results, he also "vibe-coded" new visualization tools he'd previously abandoned as too complex, including a Minkowski-space special relativity tool and a Gilbreath conjecture visualizer, and plans to include such interactive supplements with future papers.
HN Discussion:
  • LLMs enable domain experts to build visualizations and software they previously lacked time or skill to create
  • Amusement at a Fields Medalist using everyday AI tools like the rest of us
  • There is enormous latent demand for software that LLMs are now unlocking
  • Appreciation for the author's balanced view that LLMs are acceptable for non-critical supplementary work
  • Skepticism that these AI success stories are always hobby projects rather than serious work