17-year-old writes program proving 146 isolated noble polyhedra, wins $250,000

By writing a custom computer algorithm that mapped every possible version of a rare class of geometric shapes, 17-year-old Connor Hill from Port Matilda, Pennsylvania, has won the top $250,000 prize at the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search.His computational proof classified a complex group of three-dimensional shapes called noble polyhedra. His work identified two infinite structural families and exactly 146 separate, isolated examples.The announcement was made jointly by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Society for Science at a black-tie ceremony at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The competition, now in its 85th year, is widely recognised as the oldest and one of the most prestigious science and mathematics competitions for high school seniors in the United States.Solving a long-standing geometry problemPolyhedra are three-dimensional shapes made from flat polygonal faces and straight edges.