From Euler to AI:
269 years of fluid equations
On 8 September 2026 OpenAI released two papers on finite-time blowup for the three-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes and Euler equations, with Lean 4 formalizations. OpenAI states that the Navier–Stokes paper addresses alternatives (C) and (D) of the Clay Mathematics Institute’s Millennium Prize Problem.
This step by AI is built on 269 years of human work: from Euler writing down the equations of fluid motion in 1757, through Navier, Stokes and Leray, to the mathematicians still pushing on the problem today. Together the two papers list 51 references. We traced every one of them and the people behind it.
The AI result sits at the top; below it are the human works it cites, by year, all the way back to 1757. Gold tags mark Fields, Abel and Wolf laureates; open “How it is cited” for the sentences in the paper.
How it is cited (1)
Córdoba, Martínez-Zoroa, and Zheng [8] extended this approach to hy-podissipative Navier–Stokes with small positive dissipation orders and forcing in a local well-posedness class.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Recent preprints of Chen and Shkoller [5, 29] prove blowup on R3 for finite-energy axisymmetric velocities without swirl in C1,α, for every 0 < α < 1/3.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Recent preprints of Chen and Shkoller [5, 29] prove blowup on R3 for finite-energy axisymmetric velocities without swirl in C1,α, for every 0 < α < 1/3.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Córdoba, Martínez-Zoroa, and Zheng [13] proved blowup from finite-energy C1,α initial velocities that are smooth away from the origin.Euler · p. 1
How it is cited (1)
Jeong, Martínez-Zoroa, and Ożański [23] constructed three-dimensional Euler solutions with a continuously decreasing Sobolev regularity threshold, starting from vorticity in Hs, 0 < s < 3/2.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
For smooth initial data, Chen and Hou [6, 7] proved blowup in an axially periodic cylinder with an impermeable wall, combining analysis with rigorous numerical estimates.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (2)
For the incompressible porous media equation, Córdoba and Martínez-Zoroa [7] constructed singularities from smooth initial data by suc-cessive amplification of oscillatory layers, using approximations of increasing order to keep every spatial derivative of the source uniformly bounded.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
For the incompressible porous media equation, Córdoba and Martínez-Zoroa [11] constructed singularities from smooth initial data by successive amplification of oscillatory layers, using approximations of increasing order to keep every spatial derivative of the source uniformly bounded.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
For two-dimensional Euler, Córdoba, Martínez-Zoroa, and Ożański [12] constructed global solutions with initial velocity in Hr, 1 < r < 2, that lose a positive amount of Sobolev regularity at every positive time.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (3)
Córdoba and Martínez-Zoroa [6] constructed finite-time singularities for the forced three-dimensional Euler equations through successive amplification of increasingly concentrated vortex layers.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
For each fixed 0 < ε < 1/2, Córdoba and Martínez-Zoroa [10, Theorem 1.1] constructed finite-energy solutions to the forced Euler equations on R3, with velocity in C3,1/2 before blowup and an external force uniformly bounded in C1,1/2−ε ∩L2.Euler · p. 2
Córdoba and Martínez-Zoroa also use a vorticity layer to amplify a more localized layer in their forced Euler construction [10, §1.2].Euler · p. 4
How it is cited (1)
Elgindi and Pasqualotto [19] proved blowup from finite-energy C1,α initial velocities that are smooth away from a circle.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Albritton, Brué, and Colombo [1] subsequently constructed distinct suitable Leray–Hopf solutions with zero initial velocity and the same force, using an unstable vortex in similarity variables.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Córdoba and Martínez-Zoroa [9] used this approach to prove ill-posedness and loss of regularity for the inviscid surface quasi-geostrophic equation.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
For smooth initial data, Chen and Hou [6, 7] proved blowup in an axially periodic cylinder with an impermeable wall, combining analysis with rigorous numerical estimates.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Elgindi [15] proved finite-time blowup on R3 for axisymmetric velocities without swirl in C1,α, for sufficiently small α > 0.Euler · p. 1
How it is cited (1)
Elgindi, Ghoul, and Masmoudi [16] proved stability of this blowup and obtained finite-energy examples with the same regularity.Euler · p. 1
How it is cited (1)
Elgindi and Masmoudi [18] proved strong ill-posedness in the velocity spaces Ck ∩L2 for integers k ≥1, by estimating singular integral terms along the particle flow.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
For the original equations, Buckmaster and Vicol [4] used convex integration to establish nonuniqueness among finite-energy weak solutions.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Buckmaster, De Lellis, Székelyhidi, and Vicol [4] constructed solutions in this regularity range whose kinetic energy equals any prescribed smooth positive function of time.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
On the same periodic domain, Isett [22] proved that, for every 0 < β < 1/3, there are solutions with spatial Cβ regularity whose kinetic energy is not constant.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Further precedents for the wave dynamics include the centrifugal-instability criteria of Leibovich and Stewartson [15] and of Billant and Gallaire [2, 3] and the exact viscous shearing waves of Singh and Sridhar [19].Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
The use of oscillations to realize a prescribed stress is central to the Euler constructions of Daneri and Székelyhidi [10].Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Elgindi and Jeong [17] gave a construction in which localized vorticity generates a hyperbolic flow that stretches the vorticity gradient.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Tao [22] constructed finite-time blowup for an averaged Navier–Stokes equation that retains the energy cancellation of the original nonlinearity.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Bourgain and Li [2] used large deformation of the particle flow to prove norm inflation for two-dimensional Euler in the critical velocity space H2.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
They later constructed continuous solutions on the three-dimensional torus with decreasing kinetic energy [27].Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Further precedents for the wave dynamics include the centrifugal-instability criteria of Leibovich and Stewartson [15] and of Billant and Gallaire [2, 3] and the exact viscous shearing waves of Singh and Sridhar [19].Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
De Lellis and Székelyhidi [26] constructed nonunique bounded weak solutions.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
The use of an upper bound on the pressure Hessian to control this quadratic action has a precedent in Brenier’s short-time action-minimization criterion for Euler flows [3, Section 2].Euler · p. 16
How it is cited (1)
At the nonlinear level, Cheverry [8] constructed oscillatory approximate solutions of incompressible Euler and analyzed the additional phase corrections required by their nonlinear evolution.Euler · p. 3
How it is cited (1)
Le Dizès and Leblanc [25] showed that their construction generally satisfies the equations only along a single trajectory, preventing its use as the background for the next iteration.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Further precedents for the wave dynamics include the centrifugal-instability criteria of Leibovich and Stewartson [15] and of Billant and Gallaire [2, 3] and the exact viscous shearing waves of Singh and Sridhar [19].Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Fabijonas and Holm [20] proposed iterated superpositions of such waves.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Escauriaza, Seregin, and Šverák [11] proved regularity for the unforced Cauchy problem under a bounded scale-invariant L∞ t L3 x norm.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (4)
This establishes alternative (C) in the Millennium problem statement for Navier–Stokes as stated by Fefferman in [13].Navier–Stokes · p. 1
Such a smooth compactly supported force satisfies the decay conditions in [13, (5)]; the zero datum satisfies its initial-data conditions as well.Navier–Stokes · p. 120
The pressure is periodic as well, as required in the erratum to the problem statement [13].Navier–Stokes · p. 125
The following corollary gives the periodic breakdown alternative (D) in [13].Navier–Stokes · p. 125
How it is cited (2)
The methods of Lifschitz and Hameiri and of Friedlander and Vishik [17, 14] describe the evolution of wavevectors and velocity polarizations along a background flow.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
For perturbations with a rapidly varying phase, Lifschitz and Hameiri and Friedlander and Vishik [28, 21] studied the leading equations for the phase gradient and the velocityEuler · p. 2
How it is cited (2)
The methods of Lifschitz and Hameiri and of Friedlander and Vishik [17, 14] describe the evolution of wavevectors and velocity polarizations along a background flow.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
For perturbations with a rapidly varying phase, Lifschitz and Hameiri and Friedlander and Vishik [28, 21] studied the leading equations for the phase gradient and the velocityEuler · p. 2
How it is cited (2)
Craik and Criminale [9] constructed exact finite-amplitude waves on affine background flows, exploiting the cancellation of the wave’s quadratic self-interaction.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
Craik and Criminale [14] constructed exact finite-amplitude waves on affine background flows, exploiting the cancellation of the wave’s quadratic self-interaction.Euler · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
The Beale–Kato–Majda criterion [1] states that a smooth three-dimensional Euler solution continues past time T if ∫︁T 0 ∥curl u(t)∥L∞dt < ∞.Euler · p. 1
How it is cited (1)
Further precedents for the wave dynamics include the centrifugal-instability criteria of Leibovich and Stewartson [15] and of Billant and Gallaire [2, 3] and the exact viscous shearing waves of Singh and Sridhar [19].Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Caffarelli, Kohn, and Nirenberg [5] proved that the singular set of a suitable weak solution has zero one-dimensional parabolic Hausdorff measure, a bound that allows isolated singularities.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Local existence gives T∗(u0) > 0 [24].Euler · p. 1
How it is cited (1)
We use the standard Lp boundedness of Riesz transforms for 1 < p < ∞; see [20].Navier–Stokes · p. 122
How it is cited (1)
In 1934, Leray [16] constructed global finite-energy weak solutions of the three-dimensional equations satisfying an energy inequality.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
The Navier–Stokes equations [18, 21], given in (1.1), add a viscous force that resists shear between neighbouring fluid parcels.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
The Navier–Stokes equations [18, 21], given in (1.1), add a viscous force that resists shear between neighbouring fluid parcels.Navier–Stokes · p. 2
How it is cited (1)
Incompressible and inviscid flows are described by the classical Euler equations [12]:Navier–Stokes · p. 2
Ranked by reference entries by default: a paper listing one of their works counts once.
- Luis Martínez-Zoroa9
- Diego Córdoba8
- Tarek M. Elgindi5
- László Székelyhidi, Jr.4
- Camillo De Lellis3
- Jiajie Chen3
- A. D. D. Craik2
- Alexander Lifschitz2
- Eliezer Hameiri2
- Fan Zheng2
- François Gallaire2
- In-Jee Jeong2
- Misha M. Vishik2
- Nader Masmoudi2
- Paul Billant2
- Susan Friedlander2
- Thomas Y. Hou2
- Tosio Kato2
- Tristan Buckmaster2
- Vlad Vicol2
- W. O. Criminale2
- Wojciech S. Ożański2
- Charles L. FeffermanFields 1978Wolf 20171
- Andrew Majda1
- Bruce R. Fabijonas1
- Christophe Cheverry1
- Claude Louis Marie Henri Navier1
- Dallas Albritton1
- Darryl D. Holm1
- Dong Li1
- Elia Brué1
- Elias M. SteinWolf 19991
- Federico Pasqualotto1
- George Gabriel Stokes1
- Gregory A. Seregin1
- J. Thomas Beale1
- Jean BourgainFields 19941
- Jean LerayWolf 19791
- K. Stewartson1
- Leonhard Euler1
- Louis NirenbergAbel 20151
- Luis CaffarelliAbel 2023Wolf 20121
- Luis Escauriaza1
- Maria Colombo1
- Nishant K. Singh1
- Philip Isett1
- Robert Kohn1
- S. Le Dizès1
- S. Leblanc1
- S. Leibovich1
- S. Sridhar1
- Sara Daneri1
- Steve Shkoller1
- Tej-Eddine Ghoul1
- Terence TaoFields 20061
- Vladimír Šverák1
- Yann Brenier1
One list per paper, with the original numbering; the number on the right is how often the entry is cited in the text.
Finite time blowup for Navier–Stokes
- 1×Dallas Albritton, Elia Brué, Maria Colombo, Non-uniqueness of Leray solutions of the forced Navier–Stokes equations (2022)
- 1×Paul Billant, François Gallaire, Generalized Rayleigh criterion for non-axisymmetric centrifugal instabilities (2005)
- 1×Paul Billant, François Gallaire, A unified criterion for the centrifugal instabilities of vortices and swirling jets (2013)
- 1×Tristan Buckmaster, Vlad Vicol, Nonuniqueness of weak solutions to the Navier–Stokes equation (2019)
- 1×Luis Caffarelli, Robert Kohn, Louis Nirenberg, Partial regularity of suitable weak solutions of the Navier– Stokes equations (1982)
- 1×Diego Córdoba, Luis Martínez-Zoroa, Blow-up for the incompressible 3D-Euler equations with uniform C1,1/2−ε ∩ L2 force (2023)
- 1×Diego Córdoba, Luis Martínez-Zoroa, Finite time singularities of smooth solutions for the 2D incompressible porous media (IPM) equation with a smooth source (2024)
- 1×Diego Córdoba, Luis Martínez-Zoroa, Fan Zheng, Finite time blow-up for the hypodissipative Navier Stokes equations with a force in L1t C1,εx ∩ L∞t L2x (2026)
- 1×A. D. D. Craik, W. O. Criminale, Evolution of wavelike disturbances in shear flows: a class of exact solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations (1986)
- 1×Sara Daneri, László Székelyhidi, Jr., Non-uniqueness and h-principle for Hölder-continuous weak solutions of the Euler equations (2017)
- 1×Luis Escauriaza, Gregory A. Seregin, Vladimír Šverák, L3,∞-solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations and backward uniqueness (2003)
- 1×Leonhard Euler, Principes généraux du mouvement des fluides (1757)
- 4×Charles L. Fefferman, Existence and smoothness of the Navier–Stokes equation (2000)
- 1×Susan Friedlander, Misha M. Vishik, Instability criteria for the flow of an inviscid incompressible fluid (1991)
- 1×S. Leibovich, K. Stewartson, A sufficient condition for the instability of columnar vortices (1983)
- 1×Jean Leray, Sur le mouvement d’un liquide visqueux emplissant l’espace (1934)
- 1×Alexander Lifschitz, Eliezer Hameiri, Local stability conditions in fluid dynamics (1991)
- 1×Claude Louis Marie Henri Navier, Mémoire sur les lois du mouvement des fluides (1827)
- 1×Nishant K. Singh, S. Sridhar, Plane shearing waves of arbitrary form: Exact solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations (2017)
- 1×Elias M. Stein, Singular integrals and differentiability properties of functions (1970)
- 1×George Gabriel Stokes, On the theories of the internal friction of fluids in motion, and of the equilibrium and motion of elastic solids (1845)
- 1×Terence Tao, Finite time blowup for an averaged three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equation (2016)
Finite time blowup for the Euler equation
- 1×J. Thomas Beale, Tosio Kato, Andrew Majda, Remarks on the breakdown of smooth solutions for the 3-D Euler equations (1984)
- 1×Jean Bourgain, Dong Li, Strong ill-posedness of the incompressible Euler equation in borderline Sobolev spaces (2015)
- 1×Yann Brenier, Generalized solutions and hydrostatic approximation of the Euler equations (2008)
- 1×Tristan Buckmaster, Camillo De Lellis, László Székelyhidi, Jr., Vlad Vicol, Onsager’s conjecture for admissible weak solutions (2019)
- 1×Jiajie Chen, Asymptotically self-similar blowup for 3D incompressible Euler with C1,1/3− velocity II: 3D profiles, blowup, and limiting behavior (2026)
- 1×Jiajie Chen, Thomas Y. Hou, Stable nearly self-similar blowup of the 2D Boussinesq and 3D Euler equations with smooth data I: Analysis (2022)
- 1×Jiajie Chen, Thomas Y. Hou, Stable nearly self-similar blowup of the 2D Boussinesq and 3D Euler equations with smooth data II: Rigorous numerics (2025)
- 1×Christophe Cheverry, Cascade of phases in turbulent flows (2006)
- 1×Diego Córdoba, Luis Martínez-Zoroa, Non existence and strong ill-posedness in Ck and Sobolev spaces for SQG (2022)
- 2×Diego Córdoba, Luis Martínez-Zoroa, Blow-up for the incompressible 3D-Euler equations with uniform C1,1/2−ε ∩ L2 force (2023)
- 1×Diego Córdoba, Luis Martínez-Zoroa, Finite time singularities of smooth solutions for the 2D incompressible porous media (IPM) equation with a smooth source (2024)
- 1×Diego Córdoba, Luis Martínez-Zoroa, Wojciech S. Ożański, Instantaneous gap loss of Sobolev regularity for the 2D incompressible Euler equations (2024)
- 1×Diego Córdoba, Luis Martínez-Zoroa, Fan Zheng, Finite time singularities to the 3D incompressible Euler equations for solutions in C∞(ℝ3 ∖ {0}) ∩ C1,α ∩ L2 (2025)
- 1×A. D. D. Craik, W. O. Criminale, Evolution of wavelike disturbances in shear flows: a class of exact solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations (1986)
- 1×Tarek M. Elgindi, Finite-time singularity formation for C1,α solutions to the incompressible Euler equations on ℝ3 (2021)
- 1×Tarek M. Elgindi, Tej-Eddine Ghoul, Nader Masmoudi, On the stability of self-similar blow-up for C1,α solutions to the incompressible Euler equations on ℝ3 (2021)
- 1×Tarek M. Elgindi, In-Jee Jeong, Ill-posedness for the incompressible Euler equations in critical Sobolev spaces (2017)
- 1×Tarek M. Elgindi, Nader Masmoudi, L∞ ill-posedness for a class of equations arising in hydrodynamics (2020)
- 1×Tarek M. Elgindi, Federico Pasqualotto, From instability to singularity formation in incompressible fluids (2023)
- 1×Bruce R. Fabijonas, Darryl D. Holm, Multi-frequency Craik–Criminale solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations (2004)
- 1×Susan Friedlander, Misha M. Vishik, Instability criteria for the flow of an inviscid incompressible fluid (1991)
- 1×Philip Isett, A proof of Onsager’s conjecture (2018)
- 1×In-Jee Jeong, Luis Martínez-Zoroa, Wojciech S. Ożański, Instantaneous continuous loss of Sobolev regularity for the 3D incompressible Euler equation (2025)
- 1×Tosio Kato, Nonstationary flows of viscous and ideal fluids in ℝ3 (1972)
- 1×S. Le Dizès, S. Leblanc, Note on ‘multi-frequency Craik–Criminale solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations’ by B. R. Fabijonas and D. D. Holm (2006)
- 1×Camillo De Lellis, László Székelyhidi, Jr., The Euler equations as a differential inclusion (2009)
- 1×Camillo De Lellis, László Székelyhidi, Jr., Dissipative continuous Euler flows (2013)
- 1×Alexander Lifschitz, Eliezer Hameiri, Local stability conditions in fluid dynamics (1991)
- 1×Steve Shkoller, Incompressible Euler blowup at the C1,1/3 threshold (2026)