Existing approaches involved iterating a “density increment” step, but each step reduced the dimension dramatically. The key polynomial helped track density increments more efficiently. 4. Specifics of the “Key Polynomial” While Polymath 6.1 did not name one single polynomial “the key,” the following polynomial (or its variants) played the central role:
Let $x_1, x_2, \dots, x_n$ be variables in $0,1,2$ (or $\mathbbF_3$). Consider: polymath 6.1 key
[ \textKey function: f(x) = \text(# of 0's) - \text(# of 1's) \quad \textmod something? ] x_n$ be variables in $0
[ Q(x) = \sum_i<j (x_i - x_j)^2 ]