# Pennsylvania teen wins $250,000 for solving geometry problem 2026-08-16T15:32:17+00:00 | Technology | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Connor Hill, a 17-year-old from Port Matilda, Pennsylvania, has won the top $250,000 prize at the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search. He wrote a computer algorithm to classify noble polyhedra, a rare group of three-dimensional shapes with high symmetry. His work identified two infinite structural families and exactly 146 isolated examples, completing a classification that mathematicians had been working toward for years. The Times of India reports that Hill converted the geometry problem into algebraic and polynomial equations, allowing his program to reduce it to a finite set of possibilities. He told Regeneron: 'By translating the problem into a different mathematical framework, I could narrow it down to a finite set that could actually be solved.' His interest began through an online geometry community where the classification was discussed as an open challenge. Second place and $175,000 went to Edward Kang, 17, of New Jersey for an AI retinal screening tool. Third place and $150,000 went to Iris Shen, 17, of Texas for blood cancer research using clams. More than $1.8 million was awarded to 40 finalists. Hill plans to attend MIT this autumn to study computational mathematics, according to the Economic Times. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com - economictimes.indiatimes.com This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-16T17:51:32+00:00. Tags: Connor Hill, Pennsylvania, Regeneron Science Talent Search, Society for Science Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/us-teen-wins-top-prize-for-solving-noble-polyhedra-problem/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/us-teen-wins-top-prize-for-solving-noble-polyhedra-problem/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/