Chapter 1121 Inheritance

Over the past few days, almost all the hotels near Jinling University have been fully booked.

Not because Valentine's Day or Christmas is approaching, but because of the retention of a large number of foreign scholars.

For three days, except for eating and sleeping, Lu Zhou hardly went anywhere, and stayed in the lecture hall temporarily converted from the gymnasium all day, answering other scholars' questions about the Grand Unification Theory.

And, some questions about the standard conjecture.

To be honest, facing such a situation, Deligne didn't know which side he should be surprised by.

Although the first moment he saw Lu Zhou's paper on the grand unified theory, he had a feeling that the standard conjecture might be close to the door, but after all, he still didn't expect this day to come so soon.

Even, he was not ready.

At the scene of this report meeting, Lu Zhou, standing on the stage, took less than two hours to completely solve the proposition of this century.

The campus of Jinling University.

After having dinner in the cafeteria, the two old men walked along the tree-lined path leading to the observatory.

Glancing in the direction of the gymnasium, Professor Sanak who was walking beside him suddenly spoke.

"It has only troubled the mathematics world for half a century...wouldn't it seem a little too shameless."

Deligne shook his head and said.

"No... that person is an exception. I think all problems solved by him should be discussed separately."

Anyway, the standard conjecture has also guided the development of algebraic geometry for half a century, even if it became history a bit too "quickly", but this does not hinder its contribution to the development history of algebraic geometry .

Professor Sanak smiled wryly.

"Makes sense."

When the topic came to this point, for different reasons, the two fell silent at the same time. Deligne thinks about the future of the Bourbaki school, while Sarnac thinks about the future of Princeton.

Even if he doesn't want to admit it, the center of the world's mathematics community has shifted. This trend has become more pronounced since the establishment of the Future series of journals.

After continuing to walk along the path for a while, Professor Sanak suddenly spoke.

"I dare say that ten years later, this place will definitely become the center of world mathematics."

Hearing this sentence, Deligne glanced at him and asked sharply.

"Does it take ten years?"

Professor Sanak had an unnaturally awkward expression, coughed dryly and said.

"...It should still be necessary. The cultivation of a scholar is a long cycle, and the consolidation of the position of a school requires the efforts of countless generations of scholars. Ten years is just a conservative estimate, and it may take twenty years or even longer. maybe."

Professor Deligne smiled noncommittally.

In theory it is true.

But I'm afraid he missed a point.

The man was not yet thirty years old.

Strictly speaking, the twenty years from the age of thirty to fifty is the true golden period of a scholar's academic career. Ten and twenty years are indeed a relatively conservative estimate, but that is only for general situations.

doesn't apply to him.

As the birthplace of the grand unified theory, as long as that person has the heart to spread this subject, at least in the field of algebraic geometry, scholars who come out of here will always be at the forefront of the world.

Although the two had some disputes over the timing of this day, they reached a consensus on the latter matter.

After thinking for a while, Professor Sanak suddenly spoke.

"We can discuss with them to exchange a batch of students for training every year."

Professor Deligne raised his eyebrows: "Joint training program?"

"Yes..." Looking at those undergraduates walking on the tree-lined path, who are in the midst of blessings and don't know their blessings, Professor Sanak couldn't help but show an envious expression, "...Let them enjoy Professor Lu alone, It's really enviable."

As if he felt that what he said made sense, Professor Deligne nodded after thinking for a moment.

"I'll go back and mention it to the principal."

At the same time, the office of the dean of the School of Mathematics of Jinling University.

Looking at Old Tang who came to visit, Dean Qin who was sitting behind the desk stood up with a red face, stretched out his right hand from a long distance, and greeted him with a smiling face.

"Old Tang, what wind brought you here, please sit down, come, and shake hands."

"Okay, when have you been so polite to me!" Pushing away his hand, Tang Zhiwei smiled, walked to the sofa next to him and sat down, "Look at you, you've been doing well recently, you won the lottery ?”

"Win the lottery, I've been so busy recently," Dean Qin also sat on the sofa and said with a smile, "Which of your eyes can tell that I'm doing well? I've lost a few pounds, okay?"

"Oh, I didn't see it."

As early as after Lu Zhou became a teacher at Jinling University, Old Tang retired from his teaching position. In the past few years, he basically went to the park to play Tai Chi in the morning, and sat in the yard in the afternoon to play chess and fish with other retired old men. retirement life.

As for mathematics, apart from occasionally paying attention to the latest trends, he hasn't touched academic matters for a long time.

After all, at his age, he can still keep his head clear and not get confused, thanks to his status as a mathematician.

However, although Old Tang was an ordinary professor before he retired, and he was a more dutiful and inflexible kind, Dean Qin dared not disrespect him.

Not only because of the private relationship between the two, but also because he had brought Academician Lu. Dean Qin has heard of it. Up to now, Academician Lu will visit the elderly with gifts every Chinese New Year.

With Academician Lu's current status in the academic circles of Huaguo, even the leader of the Ministry of Education would treat such a boss with courtesy, let alone a dean.

Of course, Old Tang didn't put on any airs with him, but just pulled him to chat about some daily trivial matters.

Just when Dean Qin was wondering why Old Tang came to visit him, Old Tang, who had drunk a cup of tea, picked up the teapot and refilled a cup for himself, and suddenly changed the topic.

"Old Qin, speaking of it, Jin Da has been very lively recently."

Dean Qin was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's quite lively, otherwise I wouldn't be so busy."

Old Tang smiled and said, "Oh? Then I have to thank you. You are so busy and still have time to chat with me, a bad old man."

Dean Qin: "What's the matter, you are a bad old man, wouldn't I be too soon?"

Old Tang: "Otherwise? Can this thing be hidden?"

Dean Qin smiled and didn't speak.

He sensed that Old Tang was going to say something, so he gave him the topic.

Picking up the tea cup and taking a sip, after pausing for a moment, Old Tang continued in an emotional tone.

"I recently downloaded the paper on the grand unified theory of algebraic geometry and read it. I am ashamed to say that I have been out of Ke Ke's post for less than five years, and the door is almost out of reach."

Dean Qin: "Learning is like sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you will retreat. It's normal."

"That's right." With a slight sigh, Old Tang paused and continued, "We people will grow old one day, and even... this day has already arrived."

Dean Qin frowned in confusion.

"Old Tang, just say whatever you want to say, I may not be able to figure it out if you play charades with me like this..."

Putting down the teacup, Professor Tang looked at him and said solemnly, "I want to ask you something."

Hearing this sentence, Dean Qin was slightly taken aback.

In his memory, this was probably the first time that Old Tang begged him to do something in such a solemn tone.

"……What's up?"

"Have you ever heard of Principia Mathematics?"

Dean Qin: "...How could I never have heard of it? It's too embarrassing for you to ask."

As the most famous work of the Bourbaki school, "Principles of Mathematics" was jointly compiled by Weil, Didogne, Cartan, Xue Huali and many other scholars. It has a total of about forty volumes. It has been published since the 1930s. It is said that It has not been updated today, and it is still being added.

Even if you are not engaged in research in the field of algebraic geometry, as long as you are a mathematician, it is impossible not to have heard of this famous book whose influence is second only to Euclid's "Elements of Geometry".

"It's not Mai Tai, you misunderstood me," Professor Tang waved his hand, and continued, "When I was bored some time ago, I looked up the history of mathematics, and I found that the origin of Bourbaki's school is the same as "Principles of Mathematics". Books are indivisible."

The earliest term Bourbaki was the pen name of the author of the book "Principles of Mathematics", referring to a group of mathematical structuralism groups mainly composed of French mathematicians.

It can be said that the book "Principles of Mathematics" almost runs through the past and present of the mainstream schools of mathematics in Europe after the Göttingen School until today.

"...The birth of the Bourbaki school is inseparable from the origin of "Principles of Mathematics". From their development, we can learn many things worth learning."

"Knowledge lies not only in creation, but also in inheritance."

"Now the world's mathematics community is standing at the crossroads leading to the future. Everything in the future is a new world that no one has ever seen. I propose that we can organize a group of potential scholars to jointly compile a book on algebraic geometry. Unify the theory, and the writings on its future development, and pass it on to the present day."

Like Principia Mathematics of the Bourbaki school.

Obviously understood Professor Tang's thoughts, but Dean Qin's expression was still a little hesitant.

Although he has considered many things these days, including consolidating the huge influence that this report will bring to the Department of Mathematics of Jinling University, including the future of the Department of Mathematics of Jinling University, he has never even thought about such a distant thing. thought about it.

To be honest, he has no idea how much international influence Jinling University has.

Write a book and write a biography for the future of the entire mathematical community...

It would be fine if it was edited well.

Wouldn't it be a joke if it wasn't edited well?

"...Will this be a little too radical?"

"Radical? Is there anyone who is not radical in learning? Can you still be moderate?" Hearing Dean Qin's concerns, Tang Zhiwei laughed and said, "Old Qin, I'm not confused yet, why are you getting more and more confused the more you live? Yes. We are scholars, not officials, and the doctrine of the mean cannot be trusted."

Looking at the hesitant expression on his face, Old Tang Yu continued to speak earnestly.

"The Mathematics Department of Jinling University has developed to the present, and its influence is no longer what it used to be. Even Yanda and Aurora dare not underestimate us when it comes to international influence. But haven't you noticed? Now, we don’t really form a school either.”

"What is our focus, what are our strengths, and what role do we play in the world's academic community? I'm afraid you have never thought about these things."

"But it's not your fault. You also have your concerns. Many times we use old methods to solve new problems. Although it is difficult to achieve big results, we will definitely not make big mistakes."

"But the situation is different now. Now is a golden opportunity! If we don't grasp it, others will surely grasp it. We are not the only ones who are unwilling to lag behind. Do we have to hand over the knowledge we created to others to help us pass it on?" ?”

After saying this, Old Tang stopped talking and leaned on the sofa, drinking tea while quietly waiting for Dean Qin's reply.

This time, Dean Qin was silent for a long, long time.

He didn't speak until the mist on the teacup completely dissipated.

"……I will think about it."

"Don't think about it. The older you get, the more you worry about it. You look forward and backward in everything. You were not like this before," Tang Zhiwei patted his thigh and stood up from the sofa. Tang Zhiwei continued, "Lu I'll go talk to the academician."

He has never asked his students to do things in his life.

But for the future of Huaguo's mathematics community, he decided to make an exception.

What's more, this is also a very beneficial thing for Lu Zhou himself.

Maybe he doesn't care about this influence anymore.

But it would be a pity if this historical opportunity is not seized...