The mystery of the enigmatic mathematician Cleo is unveiled: behind the alias was a programmer from Uzbekistan.

After more than a decade of searching, the online community has finally uncovered the identity of the mysterious mathematician known as Cleo. It turns out that this name belonged to programmer Vladimir Reshetnikov, originally from Uzbekistan, now living in the United States. The user's identity was established through an analysis of his email correspondence.

A Genius Without Explanations

The story of Cleo began in November 2013 when a new user appeared on the mathematical forum Stack Exchange. His answers amazed participants with their accuracy and speed, yet they lacked any explanations. One of the most notable incidents occurred on November 11, 2013: a user requested help in calculating a complex integral, and Cleo provided the correct solution four and a half hours later—without any comments.

Over two years, Cleo posted 39 answers, each mathematically flawless. However, the absence of explanations frustrated some users. The Stack Exchange forum is geared towards knowledge sharing, and many felt that Cleo violated this principle by presenting only bare results.

Myths and Speculations

The mystery surrounding Cleo only fueled interest in her identity. At the end of 2014, a mention of a Bitcoin wallet for donations appeared in the profile, and at the beginning of 2015, the user updated her description:

“My real name is Cleo, I am a woman. I have a condition that makes it very difficult for me to participate in discussions or post long answers, I apologize for that. I love mathematics and try to be helpful on this site.”

This only intensified the rumors. Some speculated that Cleo was a prodigy only 15 years old, while others believed that a group of scientists was behind the account. For many years, enthusiasts tried to uncover who was hiding behind this profile, but to no avail.

How Cleo Was Identified

It was only in early 2025 that the mystery was solved: it was revealed that the Cleo account belonged to Vladimir Reshetnikov—a programmer who emigrated from Uzbekistan to the United States. An investigation helped establish his identity through an analysis of the email linked to the account.

Thus, the story of one of the most enigmatic users in the mathematical community came to an end. However, the motives behind Reshetnikov's choice to conceal his identity and provide answers without explanations remain unknown.