Chapter 228 Finding Another Path

The eating club is one of Princeton's many campus cultures. In layman's terms, it is the "canteen" located on both sides of Prospect Avenue.

Of course, this is just a popular saying, and there is still a big difference between these clubs and cafeterias. Especially those run by student groups are often quite exclusive.

For example, the aristocratic children in Boston usually would not allow a redneck from Texas to join their clubs, unless the person was really good, at least he had to achieve corresponding achievements in a certain field.

It is precisely because of this that you can even roughly infer a person's class from where he eats.

Probably the most famous of all the clubs are the Ivy Club and the Tiger Shop, and until the court ruling in 1991, they didn't even admit female members, only picking what they thought was the elite.

Lu Zhou didn't think too much about it at the time, but he just heard that the food at the Ivy Club is very good, and the annual membership fee of 5,000 US dollars can go in and eat whatever you want, and there is unlimited coffee in the afternoon, so he went to sign up.

He then inexplicably passed after being told some dos and don'ts like dining etiquette.

He originally thought that, like others, he would fight for his eligibility for membership through the traditional and ancient way of Princeton——debate.

In fact, thinking about it, this activity is quite interesting and can exercise eloquence.

But now it seems that this society is really not generally tolerant of capable people.

At this moment, sitting across from him is one of the senior members of the Ivy Club - a doctoral student in history named David Lawrence.

Lawrence is a very common surname in the United States, roughly equivalent to Zhao Liuwang Wu in Huaguo. But in a place like Princeton, especially when the guy is from Boston and white, the name Lawrence can't help but conjure up images of some family tied to a tank with the Kennedys...

The reason why Lu Zhou entered the club so smoothly was the help of David Lawrence.

Lu Zhou didn't have any prejudice against people of different nationalities and cultures. In addition, the two people's personalities were unexpectedly compatible, so they became friends naturally.

At the same time, this is also the first friend Lu Zhou met after he came to Princeton.

Two days have passed since becoming Professor Deligne's doctoral student, and Lu Zhou is still choosing between those two options.

In the evening, after listening to a lecture, he came to the Ivy Club for dinner.

It happened that David Lawrence was also there, and the two sat down to eat together.

The two happened to be talking about their plans after graduation, and David Lawrence smiled and said to him.

"Are you interested in working in an investment bank after graduation? If you have this plan, I can recommend a few good places for you."

Lu Zhou: "I'm not interested in employment, I prefer to do research."

David smiled and said, "Really? But don't you think it's exciting to use mathematical knowledge to control the financial market? And you might even have a chance to get a Nobel Prize."

Lu Zhou also smiled, and said in a chatty tone: "I haven't studied financial mathematics, but since you are so interested in finance, why didn't you choose finance as a major, but history?"

Flicking the wine glass with his fingers boredly, there was a hint of melancholy in David's eyes, and he sighed softly: "I don't want to come here either, my first choice is actually an MBA at the University of Pennsylvania, but my father stubbornly sent me to Here, because this is his alma mater, and my father's father's alma mater... At first I studied mathematics like you, but that stuff was too difficult for me, so I had to change my career to study history. "

Lu Zhou, who was breaking up the steak with a knife and fork, also sighed subtly, feeling the sideways glances of the girl next to him.

This man is good in everything, but there is one thing wrong, he looks a little handsome.

Even with Lu Zhou's strict and critical eyes, he has to admit that his appearance is comparable to his own.

"It seems that every family has their own hard-to-learn scriptures...but doesn't Princeton have an MBA program?"

"No," David smiled and shook his head. "Let's not talk about the MBA major. This is the only place in the Ivy League that doesn't have a business school."

However, the strange thing is that although there is no business school here, there are many business geniuses.

For example, the founders of Amazon and the like were all born in Princeton.

The reason why Princeton can be called a "headhunting company" in the academic world is partly due to its natural attraction of academic background and atmosphere, and the other part is due to the rich and powerful alumni association behind it.

While the two were chatting, a lady in a long black dress came over.

Noticing that her eyes were clearly not looking at him, David Lawrence seemed to understand something, so he smiled and said, "It seems that you have a date? Then I won't bother you."

"...No, it doesn't matter if you sit here."

Knowing that he obviously misunderstood something, Lu Zhou tried to explain.

But David obviously didn't intend to listen to his explanation, instead he frowned at him.

"Haha, I'm not that perplexed, and I've almost finished eating, I wish you a pleasant meal."

After speaking, he got up and left, taking the dinner plate with him.

"..."

Lu Zhou looked at the direction he was leaving with a speechless face, sighed, then looked at Miss Molina who was sitting opposite him, and asked softly: "Then Miss Molina, what can I do?"

Molina didn't talk nonsense, stared into his eyes, and said straight to the point.

"Well, I know you chose Professor Deligne...but you have no interest in our subject?"

Hearing her words, Lu Zhou sighed.

Of course he knew what the subject she was talking about was.

Before returning to China last time, she had invited him.

It's just that he didn't expect that she wasn't the only one who went crazy, even her mentor was also abnormal.

Lu Zhou: "Your subject is completely divorced from reality, like building a house in the sky...Let me think about it, to prove the Riemann Hypothesis, right? First you have to establish a new theoretical framework, and then use it to solve the problem. Some similar questions."

Molina said excitedly: "We are doing this!"

Lu Zhou: "Did it succeed?"

Molina shook her head, hesitated for a while, and said, "...It's coming soon!"

Lu Zhou sighed and said, "That's not it yet?"

In fact, it's not that he can't understand why her mentor, Sophie Morell, is so impatient.

The 2018 International Congress of Mathematicians will be held in two years, but there are only 4 places for the Fields Medal, and two of them have already been booked.

One is Peter Schultz, whose "P.S theory" is one of the most promising mathematical frameworks in the field of algebraic geometry today. In contrast, the work of other candidates is more like "problem solving", but the problem is big or small.

For the mathematics community, under the same conditions, the tools created when solving problems are more important than solving the problems themselves. In particular, this person has already won the EMS Award (European Mathematical Society Award, similar to the Lasker Award to the Nobel Prize in Medicine), and the recognition of the Cole Award, basically there is no suspense.

The other is Lu Zhou, the prover of the Polignac-Lu theorem. Although he did not create a new mathematical framework similar to "P.S theory", he really solved many headaches.

Especially the weight of Polignac's conjecture, a Fields Award is well deserved.

The selection of "authoritative" international awards such as Fields does not look at qualifications, but only results. This is why Perelman, a well-known "savage" in the mathematics world, was awarded to Fields because of the Poincaré conjecture. The reason for the Ertz Award (although he did not go to receive it).

Prior to this, he had already annoyed many people by refusing to accept the award, especially the European Mathematical Society, which awarded him the Young Mathematician Award.

Counting the two big names who are already scheduled to win, there are only two controversial places left. For example, the Brazilian boy Fernando Marques (Fernando Marques), who was hired by Princeton with her, is also a popular candidate. The Congress of Mathematicians is determined to be held in Brazil, which is even more interesting.

In addition, Geordie Williamson (Geordie·Williamson), who also won the Philippine Award Weathervane EMS Award, and Maryna Viazovska (Maryna·Viazovska), the "Goddess of Ukrainian Mathematics" who also has the halo of a female mathematician ), there are too many great gods.

If Sophie Morell can make a little contribution to the Riemann conjecture, even if it is to update Conroy's "critical line theorem" from 40% to 50% as Molina said at the airport, it will also be able to Added a lot of chips for her.

But Lu Zhou didn't quite understand why Molina was so impatient.

For her, the Philippine Award is still a distant thing...

With her index finger brushing her long hair, Molina stared at Lu Zhou and said in a firm tone, "My mentor and I can spend our entire lives solving this problem. I didn't intend to produce results within a few years."

Is the obsession so deep?

Lu Zhou put down the knife and fork, wiped his hands with a napkin, and said, "Then... you two stay together, don't drag me, I still have my own things to do."

Molina raised her eyebrows: "Professor Deligne's subject?"

Lu Zhou smiled.

Speaking of which, this meeting, Molina did not bring him any inspiration, but it did bring him a little inspiration.

Just as he has been struggling with the double-choice questions Professor Deligne threw him for the past two days, he is also faced with two difficult and tempting choices regarding Goldbach's conjecture.

Is it the big sieve method or the round method?

Both roads seem to have reached the last step, but they are always only a little bit away.

If so...

Thinking of this, Lu Zhou's eyes brightened slightly.

After a pause, he spoke.

"Goldbach Conjecture."

This time, he used a positive tone.

Molina froze for a moment, then suddenly let out a snort, and couldn't help laughing.

"I'm sorry... I didn't doubt your ability, but I couldn't help it. It seems that I really didn't miss it. You are also a crazy guy."

After a pause, Molina continued to ask in a teasing tone: "Are you going to use the big sieve method? Or the round method?"

Hearing this question, a smile appeared on the corner of Lu Zhou's mouth.

"neither."