Chapter 78 The Mozart of Mathematics

Evening is a good time for making friends and meeting people at Qinghua University, but in Princeton, on the other side of the ocean, people start to get busy shortly after waking up from sleep and finishing their work lunch.

Princeton University, located in this city, also exudes its due vitality.

But unlike the smiles on the students' faces, Feng Zuming had a frown on his face in the office.

"Mr. Richter."

"I am also responsible for the selection of the next International Mathematical Olympiad, so I don't have time to go to Qinghua University to attend the academic conference."

Feng Zuming never imagined that the mathematics department of Qinghua University would send him to attend the number theory conference held at the university to discuss the solution to the problem of the intervals between infinite Carmichael numbers.

You know, ever since he knew that this problem was solved by Xu Yuan, he has been hoping not to meet him again.

Otherwise the scene would be too embarrassing.

The key point is that he will be the only one who will be embarrassed.

Richter obviously had his own considerations, and in the face of Feng Zuming's resistance, he repeated the school's arrangements.

"After all, this paper has been included in our journal, so we must send someone to participate in the invitation."

"The Institute for Advanced Study wants to select a professor from the Department of Mathematics, so you are the most suitable one. You can hand over your tasks in the next few days and get ready and then set off."

Professors at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton all have their own busy projects.

Moreover, it is difficult for others to question his status and authority in the mathematics community.

Basically, I don’t participate in too many exchange activities.

Considering that the final problem on Carmichael numbers had been solved and the paper had been accepted by the Annals of Mathematics, it was a good thing for the field of number theory to send representatives to the conference.

However, Feng Zuming obviously still wanted to struggle, and after a little thought, he recommended a new person.

"Mr. Richter, my main research area is not number theory. Professor Joffre is more suitable to attend Qinghua's academic conference this time."

"The main reason I asked you to attend this time is because I hope you can invite him to join Princeton University in person."

"I still don't want to see this kind of mathematical genius buried."

Richter raised his hand to stop Feng Zuming from continuing, and after he finished speaking, he stood up and walked towards the coffee machine.

Feng Zuming was a little surprised when he heard this. He didn't expect that Richter would think so highly of Xu Yuan.

Until now, I still want to recruit people to Princeton University.

I don’t know if they want to cultivate a second mathematical genius who is hailed as the Mozart of mathematics.

But at the same time, he also understood that it would be impossible to refuse this trip to Yenching to attend the number theory academic conference jointly organized by Qinghua University and Yenching University.

My mood is mixed.

Originally, I just felt awkward when they met, but now when I think about having to invite Xu Yuan in person again, I feel extremely uncomfortable with a constipated face.

The key is that at the academic conference, it will be watched by many mathematicians from home and abroad.

His thoughts lingered here, and he wanted to slap himself. If he had known that this embarrassing situation would happen today, he should not have said those questioning words to Xu Yuan before.

wrong.

The invitation shouldn't have been sent at all.

But now the matter has been settled and we have to face what has to happen.

I spent most of my time preparing myself mentally, and then finally agreed.

"I will hand over the things I have on hand in the next few days and arrange the trip to Qinghua University."

"Go do it."

Richter turned around with his coffee and was very happy about Feng Zuming's transformation.

at the same time.

Far away at the University of California, Los Angeles, Terence Tao, known as the Mozart of mathematics, was calculating mathematical formulas.

He was hired as a full professor when he was less than 30 years old, and his interests spanned multiple mathematical fields including nonlinear analysis, partial differential equations, and combinatorics.

He is undoubtedly a mathematical genius.

It took only three years from the time he received his Ph.D. from Princeton University to the time he was hired as a full professor.

At this time, a blond man with a thick beard came over and took the initiative to talk to Tao after seeing him.

“Terry.”

"You would never have thought that there is a math genius like you in this world."

"Have you read the paper in the Annals of Mathematics that proves the Carmichael number spacing problem?"

“The new screening method used in the paper is very elegant.”

"Perhaps this sieve method can also be used in the study of prime numbers to prove smaller interval problems."

"Oh, by the way, the other party is from Qinghua University and is a freshman this year."

Terry is Tao's English nickname, and his friends and colleagues at school usually call him that.

Tao was obviously aware of Xu Yuan's paper. When his colleagues excitedly praised the screening method used in the paper, he temporarily stopped what he was doing, raised his eyes, and answered calmly.

"He is able to optimize the sieve method at this age and prove the problem of the interval between infinite Carmichael numbers. He is indeed very good and has a high mathematical talent."

"But this so-called new screening method is not suitable for everyone, and we still have to stick to our own method."

Since Terence Tao can be called the Mozart of mathematics, he naturally has enough confidence in the field of mathematics.

He believed that he could solve the difficult problems in mathematics by himself. His goal was to solve the seven difficult mathematical problems proposed by the American Ken Clay Mathematics Institute in the millennium.

Each problem solved will win a million-dollar prize from the Clay Mathematics Institute.

But the colleague next to him had a different opinion and expressed his own point of view after a little thought.

"I remember you were studying prime numbers before. This sieve method might be able to better solve problems related to prime numbers."

"In addition, the other party has announced that they will hold a number theory academic conference at the weekend to report on the interval problem of Carmichael numbers. Terry, are you interested in participating in the exchange?"

“These two are both such young mathematical geniuses. I really want to see what kind of sparks will be created by their collision.”

While the blond man was still daydreaming, Terence Tao picked up the pen again and shook his head to express his refusal.

"I still have to continue studying this nonlinear partial differential equation problem, so I probably won't have time to attend."

"That's a shame." The blond man looked disappointed.

……

Completely different from Tao's choice, Zhang Yitang, who is currently an assistant professor and lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at the University of New Hampshire, is also studying Xu Yuan's paper seriously.

Even when I was teaching students, I would always carry the Annual Journal of Mathematics with me.

So that I can continue my research in my free time.

Although Zhang Yitang is only an assistant professor, he is very interested in research on prime numbers.

Since I became a lecturer at this university four years ago, I have never given up research.

Unfortunately, due to lack of inspiration, there has been no breakthrough in research progress.

At some point he even felt that he was no different from a civilian scientist.

Mathematical research requires talent, and often those geniuses emerge at a very young age and solve mathematical problems through their own efforts.

For example, the late Prince of Mathematics Gauss, or the more recent Mozart Tao in the mathematics world.

As he is approaching fifty, he is no longer young, and it is basically difficult for him to have any famous achievements in the field of mathematics.

Originally, he had not thought about the extent to which he could study prime numbers, until he saw a paper published in the latest issue of the Annals of Mathematics, which suddenly gave him inspiration.

Although he learned that the other party was a freshman of Qinghua's undergraduate program, he felt somewhat ashamed of it.

But as the saying goes, the wise are the teachers.

As long as there is progress in the study of prime numbers, he will ask for advice and learn without hesitation.

Through studying the paper proving the spacing problem between infinite Carmichael numbers, he found that the new sieve method used in the paper was very ingenious and should be applicable to the proof of twin prime numbers.

For this reason, he has been researching and trying to prove it during this period.

It’s just that the sieving methods mentioned in the paper are limited, so there is always something missing in the proof process.

"Still not working?"

"It seems that I need to further optimize and innovate on this sieve method, so that I can be sure of proving the twin prime problem."

“It would be nice if I could discuss this math genius face to face.”

In the office, Zhang Yitang casually threw his pen on the table, leaned back in his chair, massaged his temples and murmured to himself, "As a mathematical researcher, this kind of pain is much worse than before."

Just then, an email notification popped up on the computer screen next to him, suddenly catching his attention.

He subconsciously glanced over.

"This is... an email from Yenching University?"

After noticing that the sender was from his alma mater, Yenching University, he let out a light exclamation and immediately recovered a little.

Immediately move the mouse to click on the email to view the content.

"The academic conference on number theory is jointly organized by the Mathematical Society, Qinghua University and Yenching University."

"Report on the prover of intervals between infinitely many Carmichael numbers."

After reading silently in his mind and finding out that this academic conference was discussing the issue of the intervals between Carmichael numbers, he suddenly became fully revived and made the decision without any hesitation.

"Since my alma mater invited me to participate, I will definitely go. I hope to have a pleasant exchange with that young math genius."

He murmured to himself again, and without wasting any time, he headed for the dean's office.

I am preparing to take leave and go to Yenching to attend this number theory academic conference.

-

Xu Yuan naturally didn't know that his conference report was so attractive, and he didn't even prepare a speech specifically.

After talking with Xu Chongxing that day, he began to work on the plan for the innovative canard aerodynamic layout.

It is worth mentioning that he did not use the computer in the school computer room to write this plan, but wrote it entirely by hand.

Anyway, this paper does not need to be submitted to a journal, so it is more convenient and faster to write it in manuscript.

that's it.

A few days passed quickly.

Until the day before the number theory academic conference began, as mathematicians and professors from universities at home and abroad arrived in Yenching, they all rested in the hotel that had been booked in advance by the organizer.

Waiting to attend the number theory academic conference the next day to exchange and discuss the proof process of the interval problem between infinite Carmichael numbers.

(End of this chapter)