Connor Hill Won Regeneron Science Talent Search

The high school researcher secured a $250,000 prize for cataloging 146 rare geometric shapes.

Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Mathematics

Connor Hill Won Regeneron Science Talent Search

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Connor Hill claimed the top $250,000 award at the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search in Washington, D.C. His winning project used computer-assisted proofs to identify and categorize 146 isolated noble polyhedra.

Why it matters

The research effectively concluded a search for these geometric structures that had remained incomplete for over a century. By proving that an infinite number of shapes fall into a finite number of classes, Hill advanced a field of study first initiated in the 1870s.

Hill used Python libraries and the Wolfram Language to solve cubic polynomials symbolically. The catalog includes 85 newly discovered noble polyhedra and identifies two distinct infinite families.

The players

Connor Hill

The student from State College, Pennsylvania, received the first place award for his mathematical research.

Regeneron Science Talent Search

This annual competition in Washington, D.C., recognizes high school seniors for their original research and scientific innovation.

The details

Hill released his project code on GitHub alongside three-dimensional models of the identified polyhedra. His work builds upon historical efforts by researchers like Hess and Brückner, who previously conducted systematic searches for these shapes.

Researchers began studying noble polyhedra in the 1870s.
Brückner led a systematic search for the shapes in 1906.
Robert Webb discovered an additional noble polyhedron in 2008.
Ulrich Mikloweit published research on 52 noble polyhedra in 2020.
Connor Hill won the Regeneron Science Talent Search on October 9, 2026.

Deeper Dive

Hill's work follows the historical legacy of the 1906 Brückner systematic search for noble polyhedra. This research extends that foundational project by utilizing modern computational methods to resolve a problem that had persisted for over 100 years.

The publication of Hill's open-source project code and three-dimensional models provides a new digital resource for students and researchers exploring complex geometry. These tools allow the public to visualize previously theoretical shapes that were mathematically identified but never before rendered.

The takeaway

Advancing mathematical knowledge often requires bridging historical gaps with new computational power. Hill’s success demonstrates how modern programming tools can resolve century-old theoretical questions by identifying patterns within complex polynomial systems.