Chapter 154 Opening Ceremony and Awards

"Among us invited to attend the conference this time, you are the only one who is qualified to give a one-hour speech. Professor Zhang and I both have 45 minutes."

On the flight to Spain, Ma Zhiming, chairman of the Mathematics Council, was talking to Xu Yuan with a smile.

Although he and his colleague Zhang Yitang were only invited by the International Mathematical Union, the organizer of the conference, to give a 45-minute academic report, he was even happier when he thought that Xu Yuan had obtained the qualification for a one-hour report than if he had given himself a one-hour report.

After all, Xu Yuan is old enough, and the higher his achievements are, the more glory he can bring to the Chinese mathematics community.

This is what he should do as the chairman of the Mathematics Council.

"I will perform well, Academician Ma." Xu Yuan took over the conversation and promised with a smile.

Zhang Yitang next to him echoed: "I am already looking forward to Xiao Xu's report."

Based on his understanding of Xu Yuan, the more important the occasion, the more likely Xu Yuan would deliver a performance that would surprise and shock everyone.

At the last academic conference on number theory held by the Annals of Mathematics alone, the Qiu Chengtong conjecture was proved on the spot.

Now that we are attending the International Congress of Mathematicians, which is held every four years, it is exciting to think about what kind of surprises there will be.

"Compared to giving a one-hour report on stage, I hope Xu Yuan can win a mathematics award at this Mathematicians' Congress. This will also break the regret of zero awards in our mathematics community." After listening to Zhang Yitang's words, Ma Zhiming perhaps thought of something and continued thoughtfully.

The voice just fell.

The expressions of several other professors, including Zhang Yitang, could not help but look a little gloomy.

Chinese mathematics has developed rapidly in recent years. Although it has achieved brilliant results in the International Mathematical Olympiad many times, no one has ever won an academic mathematics award.

It still maintains a zero record to this day.

This sense of disconnection naturally hurts everyone's heart.

Even the public is not optimistic about their own mathematics.

If it weren't for the emergence of a mathematical genius like Xu Yuan, the domestic mathematics community would never have attracted so much international attention.

Regardless of whether Xu Yuan can win the award, he is undoubtedly the person who has come closest in all these years.

"I think there is hope. Besides the Fields Medal, there is also the Wolf Prize in Mathematics."

"Xu is indeed the most promising winner in our country in many years. If he can break the regret of no prize, it will be very helpful for the development of mathematics in our country."

"Xiao Xu is still young anyway, there are plenty of opportunities."

……

Xu Yuan listened to what the professors said and knew that they also wanted to see the rise of domestic mathematics.

However, before the final results are announced, he really shouldn't jump to conclusions to avoid causing disappointment.

At this time, Ma Zhiming noticed the change in Xu Yuan's expression, so he decisively changed the subject and stopped discussing this matter.

"Our plane will have to stop somewhere else, and it will take quite some time to reach Madrid, so everyone can take a rest and get enough rest."

As Ma Zhiming finished speaking, everyone stopped talking.

that's it.

After more than twenty hours of travel, Xu Yuan and his team finally arrived in Madrid safely.

Because the staff here had come to pick us up long ago, we basically headed straight to the hotel as soon as we got off the plane. It was a lot easier than the last time I went to Princeton to attend an academic conference.

For the next two days, Xu Yuan and his colleagues basically stayed in the hotel, waiting for mathematicians from all over the world to arrive.

Wednesday, August 2006, 8, IFEMA.

Today is the official day of the International Congress of Mathematicians. The opening ceremony and announcement of the winners will be held in the morning.

At eight o'clock in the morning, after Xu Yuan and others finished breakfast, they took a special car to the International Convention and Exhibition Center.

As soon as he entered the venue, Xu Yuan raised his eyes and took a quick look, and saw many familiar figures.

In addition to old acquaintances Professor Deligne and Professor Witten, Terence Tao, who is as good as the mathematician Mozart, also came into view.

Thinking about the fact that I had made an appointment with him to meet at the Mathematicians' Conference last time, it would be inappropriate not to say hello when we meet now.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan turned his head and said to Ma Zhiming: "Academician Ma, I'll go over there first."

"Just do as you please. Don't worry about us." Ma Zhiming responded with a smile.

Then he looked at Xu Yuan's back and felt quite emotional. After all, he had participated in several mathematicians' congresses, but if you really counted them, he probably didn't know as many international mathematicians as Xu Yuan.

All I can say is that Xu Yuan's growth rate in the field of mathematics is too amazing.

Xu Yuan and Ma Zhiming separated from the others, walked straight towards Tao Zhexuan, and took the initiative to say hello.

"Professor Tao, we meet again."

"I told you before that we would meet again at the Mathematicians' Congress." Tao Zhexuan was very happy to see Xu Yuan and answered.

But before they could exchange a few words, Professor Deligne walked over.

"Xu Yuan."

"We haven't seen each other for more than half a year. Have you made any new achievements in mathematics recently?"

"That guy Holt asked me this more than once."

Deligne had a bright smile on his face and asked about things in the field of mathematics as soon as they met. Based on the speed at which Xu Yuan had published papers in the past, he should have made some new achievements in the past six months. As the editor-in-chief, Holt was embarrassed to ask Xu Yuan to urge him to submit his papers, so he had to turn to Deligne.

When Xu Yuan heard this, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He thought that no matter how talented he was, he couldn't produce papers as easily as Bai Cai.

Moreover, from the publication of his first paper to now, his papers have never been filled with water.

But he did reveal a little about Deligne.

"I have been studying differential geometry during this period, and I will explain the details at the report meeting."

"Differential Geometry?"

Deligne and Terence Tao were both stunned when they heard this.

Obviously, no one expected that Xu Yuan, after number theory, partial differential equations and algebraic geometry, would focus on the branch of differential geometry.

One can't help but express envy again.

Who can blame them for not being able to achieve brilliant results in multiple branches of mathematics?

In addition to being good at number theory, Deligne's other expertise is geometry.

Now that I heard that Xu Yuan was studying differential geometry and would be talking about it at a conference, I immediately became excited.

"Then I'm going to listen carefully to your report."

"I will definitely pay attention to it too." Terence Tao next to him took over Deligne's words and echoed.

In the following time, Deligne's attention was all on Xu Yuan.

Taking advantage of the gap before the opening ceremony officially began, he did not forget to introduce to Xu Yuan the famous mathematicians who were attending the conference.

"Let me introduce you to Xu Yuan. This is Professor Wells from the Clay Mathematics Institute."

Xu Yuan looked at the man in front of him with thick beard and sparse hair. After hearing Deligne's introduction, he quickly and politely extended his hand to greet him.

"Hello Professor Wells."

"You are the most popular mathematical genius in the mathematical world. I have read all the papers you have published. Both the logic and the methods used in the proof process are extremely sophisticated and perfect." Wells first looked at Xu Yuan, then stretched out his hand to shake his hand and gave him a high evaluation.

But before Xu Yuan could respond, he heard the other party directly invite him.

"Are you interested in joining us at the Clay Mathematics Institute? We can give you the best treatment and academic environment?"

Xu Yuan is naturally no stranger to the Clay Mathematics Institute. As a world-renowned mathematics research institution, it proposed the seven world's most difficult mathematical problems in the millennium, which attracted global attention.

The promise of a million-dollar prize for each problem solved has driven countless mathematicians crazy.

But to this day, only Perelman has solved the Poincare conjecture.

However, Xu Yuan obviously had no intention of joining the Clay Mathematics Institute.

He refused without any hesitation.

"I'm sorry, Professor Wells, but I don't want to join an overseas academic research institution at the moment."

"That's a pity," Wells said, shaking his head.

Soon Deligne noticed that Wells seemed to be in a bad mood, so he took the initiative to ask.

"My old friend, you seem very unhappy today?"

"It's all because of that arrogant guy Perelman. Not only did he give up our prize money, he also sat out this year's Mathematicians' Congress and refused to accept the prize."

When Wells heard Deligne asking about this, he immediately started complaining like a gas pump opening the pressure relief valve.

“I’ve never met a mathematician like him.”

After listening to Wells' words, Xu Yuan couldn't help but feel complicated.

It has to be said that Perelman is a very pure mathematician and he would not do anything that would affect his research in mathematics.

At least he asked himself if he could give up the huge bonus and the Fields Medal.

After all, even if he doesn't have much desire for money and wealth, it would be good for him to bring the prize money back to China to support poor younger students.

As for Wells's complaints, Xu Yuan did not comment until the opening ceremony officially began, when he returned to the seat assigned to him by the conference.

Compared to the academic conference in Princeton last year, the number of people present today is undoubtedly several times more.

It can be said that it brings together the world's most elite mathematicians and scholars.

The number of people invited to give one-hour reports and 45-minute reports in groups reached dozens.

As the opening ceremony proceeded according to the schedule, Rotter, President of the International Mathematical Union, and Wells, representative of the Clay Mathematics Institute, took turns to come on stage to deliver speeches and wish the conference a successful convening.

But for those in the venue today, what they are most looking forward to at the opening ceremony is the process of announcing the winners.

The list of award winners announced at the opening ceremony of the conference in previous years includes the Fields Medal, which is given to no more than four people at a time, and the Nevanlinna Prize, which is given to one person for major contributions to the mathematics of computer science. The winners will receive a medal and a cash prize.

Soon, as the host announced the list of Fields Medal winners from the International Mathematical Union President Rotter, the attention of the people sitting in the audience was immediately drawn to it.

At the same time, news media from many countries were waiting to record this important moment.

……

(End of this chapter)