I Just Want to Be a Quiet Top Student

The Chern Mathematics Award is awarded every two years to young Chinese scholars who have made significant mathematical research achievements in the past two years. There are two awards for each session.

Candidates for the Shiing-shen Chern Mathematics Award are selected by recommendation, and two peer experts can jointly recommend candidates.

Lu Guozhen sat down on a chair in Sun Erxiong's office, flipped through the "Journal of the American Mathematical Society", and carefully studied Shen Qi and Ouye's proof of Walsh's conjecture.

"Wash's conjecture is a second-line conjecture, which cannot be compared with Ge's conjecture and Li's conjecture, but the proof of this conjecture has solved important practical problems for the study of Diophantine equations and number theory." Lu Guozhen made an objective evaluation.

Sun Erxiong nodded and handed Lao Lu a cigarette. It was rare for him to reach an agreement with Lao Lu on academic views: "Only conjectures that are proven to be true are useful, and theories that can guide practical applications are good theories. Contemporary Academia is very realistic, it doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice, it is a good cat. As for the real dragon flying in the clouds, mortals can look up to it but dare not approach it, nor can they approach it.”

"You mean that the real dragon is not down-to-earth, it's false." Lao Lu lit a cigarette and said, "This proof of Walsh's conjecture belongs to the series of black cats and white cats catching mice. It is down-to-earth and practical. I agree with it." Old Sun, you jointly recommend Shen Qi and Ouye as candidates for the Chern Shiingshen Mathematics Prize."

"There are quite a few young Chinese mathematicians who have made significant research achievements in the past two years. Let's report the names of Shen Qi and Ouye first, without further delay. It seems that November 30 is the deadline for recommendation." General Lu JAMS returned to Sun Erxiong, saying: "However, among the papers published in the four major mathematics journals, among the young Chinese mathematicians, there is only one paper in the past two years, which is the proof of the Walsh conjecture by Shen Qi and Ouye. Papers in the four major journals can at least be an associate professor in our School of Mathematics at Yanda University."

The specific work of recommending candidates is handled by Sun Erxiong. Of course, he must inform the candidates themselves that if a candidate does not want to participate in the selection of the Chern Mathematics Prize, it would be ridiculous if he refuses to accept the prize.

Sun Erxiong made a phone call to the United States. Although Ouye was only 5 meters away from him, Sun Erxiong contacted Shen Qi first. He knew that Ouye would definitely listen to Shen Qi.

"Candidate for the Shiingshen Chern Mathematics Award? Professor Sun, you are really my mentor! I will not thank you for your kindness. I will treat Professor Sun to a good meal after returning to China." Shen Qi was moved when he heard the news. Old Sun, you are really a timely help.

"Let's thank you after winning the award. Don't be too happy, you'll die. International calls are too expensive."

After finishing the call with Shen Qi, Sun Erxiong came to the office next door and said to Ouye: "I want to inform you, Ouye, that you and Shen Qi will be recommended to this year's Chern Mathematics Prize candidate list. No need Whatever you prepare, just wait. Shen Qi has already agreed to participate in the selection."

"Thank you, Professor Sun." Ouye expressed his gratitude.

This office used to be called the SOS office, and it was a special office for Sun Erxiong, Shen Qi, and Ou Ye to work on projects together.

Now the office is renamed as SOZ Office, and it is a dedicated office for Sun Erxiong, Ou Ye, and Zhou Yu'an to work on projects together.

Sun Erxiong had more than one project in hand. After Shen Qi left the country, Zhou Yu'an took over.

Zhou Yu'an and Ouye are in their third year of college, and their main research direction has been clarified. Zhou Yu'an's main research is differential geometry, and Ouye's main research is number theory.

Differential geometry uses the theory of mathematical analysis to study the properties of curves and surfaces in its one-point neighborhood, and intersects with topology, variational science, and Lie group theory. It is extracted from algebraic geometry and refined to study small-scale curves, surfaces.

Algebraic geometry + number theory is the core of the Langlands program. The powerful combination of these two branches is considered to be possible to complete the great cause of mathematical unification.

Algebraic geometry and number theory cover a wide range, and these two branches can be subdivided into many small research directions.

The intersection of differential geometry and analytic number theory is a complex variable function. Sun Erxiong fully integrated the professional expertise of Zhou Yu'an and Ou Ye, and arranged for Zhou and Ou to jointly study a complex variable function subject, namely the SOZ subject.

"It's great to have a god-like boyfriend." Zhou Yu'an held a copy of "Journal of the American Mathematical Society", and he was very envious of Ouye.

Zhou Yu'an didn't find it strange that Shen Qi was able to publish papers in the four major international mathematics journals. It will happen sooner or later.

Ouye is also in the name of the author of the paper proved by the Walsh conjecture, which made Zhou Yu'an feel pressured.

Shen Bi Wang is far away in the United States, this Bi Wang is too far away from Zhou Yu'an both in distance and academically, and Ouye is by Zhou Yu'an's side.

"This award should belong to him, I'm just making soy sauce." Ouye showed a sense of happiness. It is a legend that she published papers in four major journals in her junior year. Her boyfriend was, after all, a graduate student in Princeton's mathematics department.

"It's great to have a boyfriend who looks like a god..." Zhou Yu'an repeated these words, as if in a daze.

"Write the thesis, Zhou Yu'an, now we can only rely on the two of us." Ouye was so happy and in a beautiful mood, she sent her boyfriend a cute emoji on WeChat.

"But I don't have a godlike boyfriend..." Zhou Yu'an was still repeating.

"What's wrong." Ouye ignored Zhou Yu'an, she concentrated on writing the part of the thesis she was in charge of.

...

United States, Princeton.

Even in Princeton, being able to publish papers in the four major international mathematics journals is a matter of great concern.

Take the "Journal of the American Mathematical Society" where Shen Qi published the proof of Walsh's conjecture as an example. This journal publishes a quarterly issue. Usually, each issue publishes about 10 papers, and a year publishes about 40 papers. People come from all over the world, and the acceptance rate of papers does not exceed 1%.

All four issues of the Journal of the American Mathematical Society have been published this year, and a total of 39 papers have been published, 18 of which are from American universities or scientific research institutions.

Among the 18 papers from American universities or scientific research institutions, 5 are from Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

The academic institutions in the United States are not the only ones in the world that study mathematics, and the small city of Princeton is not the only one in the United States that studies mathematics. Big cities such as New York, Boston, and Los Angeles also have mathematics leaders.

Famous schools such as New York University, Columbia University, MIT, Harvard, and UCLA are equally strong in mathematics. In cities such as Berkeley and New Haven, there are also famous schools such as UC Berkeley and Yale University involved in the competition in the mathematics field.

In particular, the Berkeley campus has been violent in recent years. The National Institute of Mathematical Sciences is operating in full swing in Berkeley. Berkeley has become the "mathematical capital" of the west coast of the United States, trying to compete with Princeton on the east coast.

Princeton University and the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study are two institutions. The Princeton Institute for Advanced Study undertakes scientific research tasks alone and is not affiliated with Princeton University. Of course, there are inextricable historical connections between the Institute for Advanced Study and Pudong University. It can be considered that they are a pair of sisters, with me in you and you in me.

Take a look at the 5 JAMS papers from Pudong University and the Institute for Advanced Study this year, 4 of which are written by long-established mathematics experts, or young backbones who have recently been in the limelight.

Only Shen Qi is a graduate student who has just been enrolled for three months.

"Gentlemen, we didn't do a good job this year. We published a total of 12 papers in the four major journals, counting 2 papers from the Institute for Advanced Study, which is exactly equal to the number of Berkeley." Director Charles Fefferman didn't seem to care Unsatisfied with this year's academic results, he is chair of Princeton's mathematics department.

This year Princeton University published a total of 12 papers in the four major journals, and the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study published 2 papers. The paper output of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton is not much, and the big cows there no longer need to rely on writing papers to improve their reputation. They mainly publish articles based on their mood.

It was a spacious room, inside Luther Hall, where the bigwigs of Princeton's mathematics department met.

The fire in the fireplace is burning vigorously, and the retro decoration style makes people mistakenly think that they have returned to medieval Europe. The exquisite teapots and coffee pots with beautiful patterns are just like Princeton's style.

"Who says no, I have been to Berkeley many times, more times than I have returned to Israel." Professor Elon Linden-Strauss said, "You must know that Berkeley is not famous for mathematics, but for girls. "

Hehehe.

A group of gentlemen in the room smiled knowingly, and the atmosphere eased.

There are a total of 10 Fields Medal winners sitting in this room. Director Fefferman and Professor Linden Strauss, who spoke just now, have all won the Fields Medal.

The remaining 20 people have not won the Philippine Award, but each has the same famous mathematics awards in the industry such as the Wolf Award, the Abel Award, the Crawford Award, and the Ramanujin Award.

If there are criminals attacking this room at this time, leading to the annihilation of all the bosses inside, the mathematics world may go back more than ten years and return to the 20th century overnight.

Shen Qi, who won the gold medal in the International Mathematical Olympiad, dared not speak, and he didn't know why he was called to attend the monthly regular meeting of the big bosses of the mathematics department. It is said that Fefferman, the dean of the Department of Mathematics, meant it.

All Shen Qi could do was to pour coffee for Professor Wei Teng beside him.

In this room, an IMO gold medalist is more precious than a Filipino award winner. Rare things are more valuable.

Professor Weiteng made a thank you gesture and gave Shen Qi an encouraging look.

"The only surprise this year came from a graduate student who published a paper on JAMS, which is not easy to do." Director Fefferman looked at Shen Qi and said, "Anyway, what Walsh conjectured The proof is a meaningful thing, Shen Qi, tell me your opinion about the Walsh conjecture."

"Oh?" Shen Qi was a little surprised. I'm just a little Mengxin listening in. Why did you call my name, Mr. Director?

"In Princeton, it's not considered a formal publication if it's published in a journal, but it's only counted if we pass it." Professor Witten told Shen Qi about the internal rules of Princeton.

Is that so, and this rule? Why don't you people go to heaven?

Shen Qi cleared his throat, adjusted his mentality and prepared to speak.