The unparalleled talent of the country started from Harbin Institute of Technology

Chapter 143, Shiing-Shen Chern: If I come back to Nankai University, would you be willing to study for my doctorate?

"Recently, mathematicians from the United States, Britain, France, and other countries gathered in the Yanyuan Auditorium of Peking University. This was the first time that my country has held an international academic conference. The speaker, Comrade Wang Duoyu, gave a very wonderful report. A certain leader also attended the conference."

The newspaper reported on the academic conference and explained the importance of this conference.

It was a very official report, but it was enough to show that the higher-ups attached great importance to this report.

The leaders all attended the report meeting, which has proved everything.

At the Zhu family home on the second floor of the faculty building at Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhu Qizheng flipped through the newspaper and couldn't help but sigh:
"This kid is quite amazing."

At the kitchen door, Fang Zhen, who had just come out with the dishes, rolled her eyes when she heard this.
"How dare you say that? The first time Duoyu came to visit us, you were so embarrassed. But now you're praising others every day. If you don't know, you'd think Duoyu is your son."

"Nonsense, when have I ever done that?"

Zhu Qizhen was a little embarrassed and quickly denied it.

"A son-in-law is half a son, so how can he not be a son? Isn't it okay for me to praise him a little?"

At this moment, the door was opened, and Zhu Ling and Wang Duoyu appeared. Old Zhu and Fang Zhen stopped arguing immediately, and both put on smiles to welcome their daughter and son-in-law.

The family of four soon gathered together for dinner. At the dinner table, Zhu Ling suddenly talked about someone asking about her recently, and her mother Fang Zhen immediately agreed.

Someone did come to inquire about their family affairs, but I don’t know why.

Wang Duoyu heard this, thought for a moment, and then he had the answer, and said comfortingly:

"It's likely they're trying to find a way to save the country. If they want to find out about you, it's probably because they know Lingling and I got married, so they want to use Lingling to influence me."

"The purpose is to let me study in the United States!"

Zhu Qizheng and Fang Zhen's eyes widened instantly, and they immediately asked worriedly, "If you go abroad, will it have any impact on your future?"

They all came from that era and know those things very well.

So Lao Zhu and the others were very scared.

"Whether it has an impact or not is none of my business. I refused." Wang Duoyu said lightly:
"Studying in the United States is not a good idea. While the US may seem powerful, it is actually a paper tiger, a bully who only fears the strong."

"I won't study abroad anyway. It's great in the country."

"I estimate that I will stay in the capital for about three days. After things here are finished, I will return to Ice City."

He not only wanted to go back to Ice City, but also wanted to go back to his hometown.

He had returned to his hometown during the Qingming Festival, but it was not suitable to build a house at that time, so he did not mention this matter to his elder brother and others.

Wang Duoyu wants to build a small villa in his hometown, and it must have an independent bathroom, otherwise it will be very inconvenient for him every time he returns to his hometown.

The same is true in Bingcheng and Beijing. He also wants to renovate the house to make it more livable, rather than making it very troublesome for the owner to live in. Otherwise, it would not be a good house.

Now that he and Zhu Ling have obtained their marriage certificate, it is time for him to improve his living conditions.

Besides, it’s almost 1980, and the social atmosphere will only become more and more open, but it will not go back to what it was a few years ago.

"Well, it's time to go back. Let Lingling go back with you. Remember to discuss the wedding with your eldest brother and the others."

Zhu Qizhen smiled and nodded when he heard this.

When it comes to this matter, Fang Zhen has a lot to say.

So this dinner tonight is destined to be very lively.

Wang Duoyu gave up struggling immediately and decided to just hold the wedding as planned.

The next day, at the Jingxi Hotel, Wang Duoyu had just arrived when Qiu Chengtong asked with a smile, "Mr. Wang, I heard you're getting married. When will the wedding be held? Can I have a drink?"

In order to become a fellow disciple with Wang Duoyu, Qiu Chengtong also tried his best.

It was his teacher Shiing-Shen Chern who arranged for him to say this, so he had no choice.

"It should be around May 2nd, but we may have to wait for a while." Wang Duoyu replied with a smile. Qiu Chengtong was immediately overjoyed and said:

"Sure, it's only the 20th anyway, so I'll stay in the capital for a while and come to your wedding."

"Thank you for your kindness. Once the time is confirmed, I will personally give you the invitation."

Upon hearing this, Wang Duoyu clasped his hands together and expressed his gratitude.

The other party was very famous and was able to lower himself and make friends with him. Moreover, even after he had clearly rejected the other party's invitation to study in the United States many times, the other party was still able to do this. Wang Duoyu was of course very grateful.

At this time, other people in the small conference room, such as Smale, Robert Langlands and others, all asked curiously what was going on.

Because Qiu Chengtong and Wang Duoyu were talking in Mandarin, Smel and the others didn't understand.

Chen Shiing-Shen translated a sentence casually, and Smale and the others immediately shouted, saying that they were willing to stay and must attend Wang Duoyu's wedding.

Seeing them so enthusiastic and proactive, Wang Duoyu was happy, but also a little distressed, as if they were a little too proud.

If he had known this earlier, he would not have mentioned May 2nd, but instead gave a relatively distant date. Perhaps they would not have been so proactive.

"Mr. Wang, I heard from President Liu of your Harbin Institute of Technology that you will graduate this summer. I wonder whose master's program you plan to apply for after graduation?"

After finishing the discussion on the topic of wedding activities, Chen Shiing-Shen suddenly looked at Wang Duoyu and asked about the master's degree.

Before Wang Duoyu could answer, Qiu Chengtong suddenly spoke first:

"Duoyu, I think you should seriously consider this. A master's degree isn't that much of a stretch. With your abilities, my teacher can directly give you a master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley..."

"We really hope you can come to the United States to study for a doctorate. I believe that with your ability, you should be able to obtain a doctorate in less than a year. What do you think?"

To be honest, it’s not that great, Wang Duoyu smiled and shook his head.

When Chen Shiing-Shen saw this, his expression froze slightly.

He had never seen such a stubborn genius, and Wang Duoyu's situation was definitely the only one he had ever seen in his life.

But Wang Duoyu's talent is so strong that he doesn't even need a teacher.

Judging from Wang Duoyu’s performance at the report meeting two days ago, his talent and ability are indeed extremely powerful.

Shing-Tung Yau fell silent for a moment, feeling somewhat bitter inside. He had a rare opportunity to study in California, USA, and was even tested when he became Chern's disciple.

As for Wang Duoyu, his teacher Chen Shiing-Shen invited him many times and even lowered many of the conditions, but Wang Duoyu still refused.

Alas, comparing yourself with others is really frustrating.

However, if you think about it carefully, Wang Duoyu had already proved the Poincare conjecture in four-dimensional space. Based on this scientific research achievement alone, he had already won a place in the Fields Medal in 1982.

Moreover, there is still a long time before 1982, and it is possible that Wang Duoyu will come up with other more impressive scientific research results.

Therefore, after thinking this way, Qiu Chengtong felt a lot more comfortable.

"If I come back to Nankai University to run the Institute of Mathematics, would you be willing to study for my doctorate, Mr. Wang?"

Suddenly, Shiing-Shen Chern took the initiative to speak, and for a moment, the entire conference room became much quieter.

Duan Xuefu and others were very surprised. It must be a very happy thing that Chen Shiing-Shen was able to return to China.

Given Chern's status in the international mathematics community, if he returns to China, he will definitely be able to promote the development of domestic mathematics.

Qiu Chengtong was stunned. He never expected that his teacher would go this far for Wang Duoyu. His originally balanced heart suddenly became unbalanced.

So unfair!
Wang Duoyu heard this and responded with a smile:

"Professor Chen, of course we welcome you back. I will give you an accurate answer when you come back. Besides, I haven't graduated yet, and there is no sign of a master's degree." After hearing what Wang Duoyu said, Qiu Chengtong wanted to curse. His teacher was so humble, but the former was still unwilling to give a definite answer?
Who does he think his teacher is?
Everyone knows who it is!
Hua Luogeng, Wu Wenjun and others resolutely returned to the capital to support the national cause, which was a timely help.

In 1949, Chen Shiing-Shen accepted the invitation of Oppenheimer, the director of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, and moved his family to the United States. Now he is returning to China, which can be considered icing on the cake.

You know, Chen Shiing-Shen is now 68 years old, although he could live until 2004, which means he would be 93 years old.

But at his current age, what can Chern accomplish in the second half of his life? What contribution can he make to the country?

Chern's most important work was during his time as a researcher at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, from 1943 to 1946, when he published two groundbreaking papers:
"A Simple Intrinsic Proof of the Gauss-Bonnet Formula on Closed Riemannian Manifolds" and "Characteristic Classes of Hamiltonian Manifolds".

It was these two papers that established his position in the history of mathematics.

Therefore, although Shiing-Shen Chern is very powerful, this is no longer his era.

After hearing Wang Duoyu's polite refusal, although it was not a direct rejection, before Chen Xingshen opened his mouth, Duan Xuefu immediately said:
"Comrade Wang Duoyu, why are you so ignorant?"

Then Duan Xuefu immediately pulled Wang Duoyu aside and whispered:

"You should understand the principle of prioritizing the overall situation, right?"

Without waiting for Wang Duoyu to speak, Duan Xuefu immediately continued:

"If we want to develop mathematics in China, we need the support of world-class mathematicians like Shiing-Shen Chern. The higher-ups attach great importance to Professor Chern and hope that he can return to Nankai University and lead the Institute of Mathematics."

"If he really comes back, you'll be the biggest contributor. How could the higher-ups not remember your kindness?"

This is the truth, but Wang Duoyu really just goes with the flow.

Originally, he thought that although Chen Shiing-Shen had come to his senses and was going to return to China to support the development of domestic mathematics, this was a great thing.

Let the past be the past and don’t mention it.

But Chen Shengshen used those as conditions and asked for his opinion in a joking manner, so Wang Duoyu would definitely not agree to it directly.

After all, if Chen Shengshen didn't come back by then, wouldn't Wang Duoyu become a joke?
Besides, Chern Shiing-Shen wouldn’t come back for several years, right?

By then, the opportunity would have gone, and Wang Duoyu didn't want to take the risk.

"Director Duan, I haven't actually thought about getting a doctorate. It's too far away from me. It's enough for me to just graduate from college." Upon hearing this, Wang Duoyu had to confess.

He really didn't have any other ideas. Whether it was a master's or a doctorate, it was of no use to him.

In this day and age, just being a college student is enough for him.

What's more, he is currently an intern researcher at the Institute of Mathematics, and this position is already high enough for him. He just needs to move up slowly in the future.

As for how to move up, Wang Duoyu was well prepared. He just needed to work hard on his papers.

The Poincare conjecture paper for three-dimensional space may be very difficult, but Wang Duoyu believes that if this path is blocked, then we can first solve other paths.

For example, in the fields of Ricci flow, Ricci curvature flow, nonlinear differential equations, etc., Wang Duoyu knows how to use Ricci flow to change the geometry of Hamiltonian manifold. This method is more reliable to prove the Poincare conjecture in three-dimensional space.

The Ricci flow equation is an equation frequently used in Hamilton's research field, 'global analysis'. This equation is a powerful weapon that can transform the shape of the three-dimensional universe into a spherical shape.

Therefore, this is indeed a very good method, but Wang Duoyu himself knows that sometimes other methods are also possible.

It is better to challenge yourself to do something of high difficulty than to copy it without thinking about anything else. That will ruin your brain.

In addition to the Poincare conjecture in three-dimensional space, Wang Duoyu can also continue to improve the Langlands concept, integrable systems, three-dimensional multiplicity, whether the smoothness assumption can be replaced by normality, and the set of isomorphism classes of irreducible I-adic local systems whose determinants have finite order for any smooth variable X on a finite field that does not depend on the prime number I, etc.

There are even other directions, such as the more difficult original space-time millennium mathematics problems.

It can be said that if Wang Duoyu wants to write papers, he will be very busy writing these papers in the next few years.

And he really didn't need a mentor anymore.

It can even be said that his previous refusal of Chern's invitation to study in the United States had already made his attitude very clear.

We are all smart people, why can't we figure this out?

"You're not going to study for a master's degree?"

When Duan Xuefu heard this, his eyes widened and his expression was full of disbelief. How could this be possible?
“How can you not get a master’s and a doctorate?”

"Why should I get a master's or doctoral degree? What good will it do me besides wasting my time?"

Wang Duoyu asked back, and then said, "If it weren't for a bachelor's degree, I wouldn't have taken the college entrance examination."

Without waiting for Duan Xuefu to say anything, Wang Duoyu continued:

"Anyway, this is what I think. Director Duan, please don't tell Professor Chen about this directly. Otherwise, if there are complaints from higher-ups, both you and I will be in trouble."

The higher-ups were eager for Chen Shiing-Shen to return to Nankai University immediately and take up the position of director of the Institute of Mathematics at Nankai University.

At this time, if Chen Shiing-Shen was unwilling to return to China because of Wang Duoyu's incident, he would really be a sinner.

Upon hearing this, Duan Xuefu immediately shut up and remained silent.

The atmosphere wasn't great, but it wasn't too bad either.

But Qiu Chengtong still felt a little unhappy.

Even though he didn't go to great lengths to become Chern's disciple before, he wasn't like Wang Duoyu is now, who was strongly invited by Chern. So there is no harm without comparison.

However, no matter how unhappy Qiu Chengtong was, he would not show it.

At this time, Wang Duoyu did have such qualifications.

In fact, if he had been so awesome back then, he would never have taken someone else as his master.

In the afternoon, Liu Deben, Wu Congyin and others came over, called Wang Duoyu aside, and asked him when he would return to Harbin Institute of Technology.
"Principal, I plan to return to Ice City the day after tomorrow, but I have to go back to my hometown first. I plan to hold my wedding in Beijing on May 2nd, and there will definitely be several representatives from my hometown coming by then."

"So are you still going to hold your wedding in Ice City?"

"I won't run the Ice City event. I'll just treat you all to a simple meal when the time comes. It'll save you the trouble."

When Liu Deben heard this, he was very happy and said:

"It's not a problem at all. How could it be a problem? A big happy event like your marriage only happens once in a lifetime."

Before he could finish his sentence, Liu Deben was suddenly stuck because he remembered that Wang Duoyu had been divorced before, and this time he was marrying Zhu Ling, which meant it was his second marriage.

Therefore, the saying that you only get married once in your lifetime is not suitable for Wang Duoyu.

Awkward!
"Your wedding is a big event anyway, and we don't mind the trouble. How about setting up a few tables at Harbin Institute of Technology?"

After a pause, Liu Deben continued:

"Well, we plan to give you a diploma after you return this time to celebrate your graduation from the mathematics program. And since you're married now, why not have a meal together? It's a double celebration, what do you say?"

Wang Duoyu was immediately surprised: "Didn't they say I would graduate in July? How come it's early?"

The graduation date was advanced by more than two months, which still surprised Wang Duoyu. After all, the two parents, Li Rui and Liu Deben, wanted Wang Duoyu to stay in Harbin Institute of Technology forever. It was unlikely that they would let him graduate so soon.

"It's almost the same now as July. You should be graduating anyway, and there's nothing we can teach you."

Wu Congxin added somewhat unwillingly, and Liu Deben immediately nodded in agreement, then continued:
"By the way, Duoyu, what are your plans after graduation?"

　Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)