Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Academician Wang had been an academic leader of Yan University for many years, and he had also served as the chairman of the China Mathematics Society.
He had quite a temper.
After he came out of the Principal’s office, he didn’t ask a professor for help. Instead, he asked a student and found his way to Professor Lu’s office.
After Lu Zhou, who was sitting at his desk, heard Academician Wang’s request, he stopped writing.
“Do a report at Yan University?”
“Yes.” Academician Wang didn’t hide his true intentions as he said, “The mathematics department at Yan University is much stronger than the mathematics department at Jin Ling University, both in terms of academic atmosphere and ability. This kind of world-class academic conference is a chance to showcase China’s mathematics community to the world. It’s also an important opportunity for Chinese mathematicians to integrate with the world. I know the report is yours, and you have the right to choose where you want to host it, but I hope you can look at the big picture and reconsider.”
Lu Zhou smiled and said, “Can I ask you a question?”
Wang Shicheng said, “Go ahead.”
Lu Zhou: “Do you think the window is important or the things inside the house are important?”
Wang Shicheng: “Of course I think the things inside the house are important.”
“I think so too.” Lu Zhou nodded and paused for a second before he said, “Whether or not the Chinese mathematics community can connect with the world, doesn’t depend on how many windows or where the windows are. It depends on the things inside the house. I’m asking you to think about the big picture. I’m telling you that the location of the report itself isn’t important. My research itself is the thing that is going to bridge the gap between China and the rest of the world.”
Wang Shicheng’s thoughts were blocked by Lu Zhou’s words.
He opened his mouth and couldn’t say anything. After a while, he said, “I don’t understand.”
Lu Zhou: “Don’t understand what?”
Wang Shicheng said with a confused look, “I don’t understand why you don’t want to go to Yan University? Do you think it’s more realistic for Yan University to be the center of Asian mathematics or Jin University to be the center of Asian mathematics?”
When Lu Zhou heard this question, he smiled.
“Actually, there isn’t any special reason. This place is just my alma mater.”
Even though there were special reasons, he didn’t have to say them.
Why did Shiing Shen Chern choose Kai University? Why did Qiu Chengtong choose Shuimu? Wasn’t Yan University supposed to be better? It was actually the contrary. It was because Yan University was too strong; it already had too many mathematicians.
For something to change, it required a collision of academic ideas.
Lu Zhou was thinking about the long-term effect, hence, he didn’t choose to go to Yan University.
When he saw how shaken Academician Wang Shicheng was, he paused for a second before saying, “As for which one is more likely to become the center of mathematics…
“They’re both the same to me.”
…
There was still a month and a half until the Yang-Mills equations report, but the preparations for the report had already begun.
The preparations were stuff like preparing for the conference itself, as well as changing the school’s appearance, safety inspection work, and even renovating some old dorm buildings on the old campus. For example, when Lu Zhou was in the mathematics modeling competition, he lived in the infamous dorm building six. This time, the school leaders made up their minds and several dorm buildings were completely renovated. They even installed air conditioners in these newly renovated buildings.
Honestly, Lu Zhou felt a little shameful that Jin Ling University was taking this report so seriously.
After all, when he was still in Princeton, his reports were not this grandiose. Even his report on the Goldbach’s conjecture was just hosted in the number 1 lecture hall.
However, he still understood why Principal Xu was doing this.
After all, the mathematics department at Jin Ling University had never produced such a major result before.
This was the closest the international theoretical physics community had ever gotten to the holy grail of physics, and it was also Jin Ling University’s top international academic achievement. Whether the principal was doing it because of the results itself or because of Lu Zhou as a person, either way, it was worth it.
On the other hand, other than the school preparing for the report, Lu Zhou’s three assistants were also getting busy.
Especially Assistant Lin, who was responsible for public relations. Normally, she had a lot of free time, but now, she finally had some stuff to do. She would run around the new and old campus with a pile of documents, but it looks like she seemed to be enjoying this?
Lu Zhou didn’t understand what was enjoyable about this.
Regardless, since there were so many people organizing the report, Lu Zhou didn’t have to worry about it himself. He continued to research the general solution for the Yang-Mills equations.
However, things were far more complicated than he had imagined.
His research wasn’t even in a bottleneck. There was no bottle at all…
[F^i(μv)≡δμ·Av^i-δv·Aμ^i+g(f^ijk)·(Aμ^j)·(Av^k).]
[…]
“I have no idea how Mr. Yang and Mr. Mills were able to derive this equation.” Lu Zhou crunched the paper in his hand and threw the paper ball into the bin.
The L Manifold was very useful for testing nonlinear partial differential equations, but it was quite limited when one used it to solve specific problems.
This was why Lu Zhou never thought about solving the Navier–Stokes equations.
Not because it was difficult, but because he knew he couldn’t do it.
Han Mengqi walked to his desk and handed him the thesis she had just printed.
“Teacher, this is my thesis.”
Lu Zhou stopped writing and briefly looked at the abstract and title of the thesis. He then raised his eyebrows with interest.
[A theoretical model of a semiconductor-electrolyte solution interface based on the Schottky barrier]
Seems like this chick is quite talented at computational materials.
After two months of work, she’s able to write something of her own.
“Oh, put it here… I’ll look at it later.”
“Oh…” Han Mengqi nodded and hesitated for a bit. She then asked quietly, “Um… teacher, is there anything I can do to help?”
Lu Zhou paused for a second and smiled.
There really wasn’t anyone that could help him.
However, he still had to stay humble.
“You can complete the task I gave you; that’s the biggest thing you can do for me now.”
In a sense, this was correct.
After all, the final reward for his reward mission, other than his lecturing quality, was related to the impact factors of his students’ theses.
However, Han Mengqi obviously didn’t know about the system. She felt a little down as she nodded.
“Okay then…”
If only I was stronger.
This way, I can actually be of use…
