17-year-old Pennsylvania student Connor Hill wins $250,000 after computer algorithm solves decades-old geometry puzzle, identifying exactly 146 rare 3D shapes

Connor Hill, a 17-year-old from Pennsylvania, has won the top $250,000 prize at the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search after using a custom computer algorithm to classify complex geometric shapes. His breakthrough identified two infinite families and exactly 146 isolated noble polyhedra. Hill plans to continue studying computational mathematics at MIT.