The Chern Prize in Mathematics is awarded every two years to young Chinese scholars who have made significant mathematical achievements in the past two years.

Candidates for the Chern Prize in Mathematics are selected by recommendation, and two peer experts can jointly recommend candidates.

Lu Guozhen found a chair in Sun Erxiong's office and sat down, flipped through the Journal of the American Mathematical Society, and carefully studied Shen Qi and Ou Ye's proof of Walsh's conjecture.

"Walsh's conjecture is a second-line conjecture that cannot be compared with Gochai and Richchai, but the proof of this conjecture solves important practical problems for the study of Diophantine equations and number theory. Lu Guozhen made an objective assessment.

Sun Erxiong nodded, handed Lao Lu a cigarette, and it was rare for him to reach an agreement with Lao Lu on academic views: "Only conjectures that have been proven to be true are useful, and theories that can guide practical application are good theories." Contemporary academia is very realistic, no matter whether it is a black cat or a white cat, the one who can catch mice is a good cat. And the true dragon roams the clouds, mortals can look up but dare not approach, and they can't get close. ”

"You mean that the real dragon is not grounded, empty. Lao Lu lit a cigarette and said: "This proof of Walsh's conjecture belongs to the black cat and white cat and mouse series, down-to-earth, practical, I agree to jointly recommend Shen Qi and Ou Ye as candidates for the Chern Mathematics Award." ”

"There are a few young Chinese mathematicians who have made major research achievements in the past two years, so let's report the names of Shen Qi and Ou Ye first, without further ado, as if November 30 is the deadline for recommendation. Lao Lu returned JAMS to Sun Erxiong and said: "But among the papers published in the four major mathematical journals, there is only one among the young Chinese mathematicians in the past two years, which is the Walsh conjecture proof by Shen Qi and Ou Ye. If you publish a paper in one of the four major journals, you can at least be an associate professor in our School of Mathematics of Yan University. ”

The specific work of recommending candidates is handled by Sun Erxiong, and of course he has to inform the candidates himself, in case the candidates are unwilling to participate in the selection of the Chern's mathematics prize, and finally refuse to accept the award, it is not funny.

Sun Erxiong made a phone call to the United States, although Ou Ye was only 5 meters away from him, Sun Erxiong contacted Shen Qi first, and he knew that Ou Ye would definitely listen to Shen Qi.

"Candidate for the Chern Prize in Mathematics, Professor Sun, you are really my mentor! I will not say thank you, and I will treat Professor Sun to a good meal after returning to China. Shen Qi was more moved when he learned the news, Lao Sun, you are really a charcoal in the snow.

"Thank you for the award, don't be happy too early, hang up, international calls are too expensive. ”

After ending the call with Shen Qi, Sun Erxiong came to the office next door and said to Ou Ye: "I officially inform you, Ou Ye, you will be recommended to the list of candidates for this year's Cherry Sing Mathematics Award together with Shen Qi." You don't need to prepare anything, just wait. Shen Qi has already agreed to participate in the selection. ”

"Thank you, Professor Sun. Ouye expressed gratitude.

This office used to be called the SOS office, which was a special office for Sun Erxiong, Shen Qi, and Ou Ye to do projects together.

Now the office has been renamed SOZ Office, which is a special office for Sun Erxiong, Ou Ye, and Zhou Yu'an to work on projects together.

Sun Erxiong has more than one project in hand, and after Shen Qi went abroad, Zhou Yu'an filled the position.

Zhou Yu'an and Ou Ye are in their third year of college, and their main direction of attack has been clear, Zhou Yu'an focuses on differential geometry, and Ou Ye focuses on number theory.

Differential geometry uses the theory of mathematical analysis to study the properties of curves and surfaces in their neighborhoods, and intersects with topology, variationalism, and Lie group theory.

Algebraic geometry + number theory is the core of Langlands' program, and the powerful combination of these two branches is considered to have the potential to complete the great cause of mathematical unification.

Algebraic geometry and number theory cover a wide range, and these two branches can be subdivided into many small subdivisions.

The intersection of differential geometry and analytic number theory is a complex variable function, and Sun Erxiong fully integrated the professional expertise of Zhou Yu'an and Ou Ye, and arranged for Zhou and Ou to cooperate in the research of a complex variable function topic, that is, the SOZ topic.

"It's nice to have a god-like boyfriend. Zhou Yu'an had a copy of the Journal of the American Mathematical Society in his hand, and he was very envious of Ouye.

Shen Qi can publish papers in the four major international mathematics journals, Zhou Yu'an does not think it is strange, sooner or later.

The author of this paper proved by Walsh's conjecture also has Ou Ye in his name, which makes Zhou Yu'an feel pressured.

Shen forced Wang to be far away in the United States, and this forced king was too far away from Zhou Yu'an both in terms of distance and academics, and Ou Ye was by Zhou Yu'an's side.

"This award should be his, I just hit soy sauce. "Ou Ye exudes happiness, it is a legend that she has only published papers in the four major journals in her junior year. Her boyfriend is a graduate student in Princeton's math department.

"It's nice to have a god-like boyfriend......" Zhou Yu'an repeated this sentence, stunned.

"Write a paper Zhou Yu'an, now we can only rely on the two of us. Ou Ye was so happy and in a beautiful mood, she sent a Mo Mo Da emoji to her boyfriend on WeChat.

"But I don't have a god-like boyfriend...... Zhou Yu'an is still repeating.

"Fault. Ou Ye ignored Zhou Yu'an, and she concentrated on writing the part of the paper she was responsible for.

......

Princeton, USA.

Even in Princeton, it is a matter of great interest to be able to publish papers in the four major international mathematical journals.

Taking the Journal of the American Mathematical Society, where Shen Qi published Walsh's conjecture proof, this journal publishes one issue a quarter, usually about 10 papers in one issue and about 40 papers in a year, and the contributors are from all over the world, and the paper inclusion rate does not exceed 1%.

All four issues of the Journal of the American Mathematical Society have been published this year, with a total of 39 papers, 18 of which are from universities or research institutions in the United States.

Of the 18 papers from U.S. universities or research institutions, five of them were from Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Academic institutions in the United States are not the only ones in the world who study mathematics, and the small city of Princeton is not the only one in the United States who studies mathematics, and there are also math bigwigs in big cities such as New York, Boston, and Los Angeles.

New York University, Columbia University, MIT, Harvard, UCLA and other prestigious universities are also strong in mathematics, and cities such as Berkeley and New Haven also have UC Berkeley, Yale University and other famous universities involved in the competition in the mathematics community.

In particular, Berkeley has become the "capital of mathematics" on the West Coast of the United States, trying to compete with Princeton on the East Coast.

Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton are two institutions, and the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton is responsible for research on its own and is not affiliated with Princeton University. Of course, there are inextricable historical ties between the Institute for Advanced Study and the University, and it can be considered that they are a pair of sisters.

Take a look at the five JAMS papers from this year's General University and the Institute for Advanced Study, four of which were written by long-established mathematicians, or young backbones who have recently been in the limelight.

Only Shen Qi is a graduate student who has just been enrolled for three months.

"Gentlemen, we have not done a great job this year, having published 12 papers in the four major journals, including two from the Institute for Advanced Study, which is exactly the same number as Berkeley. "Director Charles Fefferman, chair of the mathematics department at Princeton, does not seem satisfied with this year's academic results.

This year, Princeton University has published a total of 12 papers in four major journals and two papers by the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton does not produce many papers, and the big bulls there no longer need to rely on brushing papers to improve their prestige, and they publish articles mainly based on their mood.

It was a spacious room, located inside Luther Hall, where the Princeton math department leaders met.

The fireplace is blazing, the retro décor is a throwback to medieval Europe, and the delicate teapots and coffee pots carved with beautiful patterns are just like Princeton's style, not big but complete, but small and fine.

"Who's to say it isn't, I've been to Berkeley many times more than I've been back to Israel. Professor Elon LindenStrauss said, "You know, Berkeley is best known not for math, but for girls. ”

Hehehe.

A group of gentlemen in the room smiled heartily, and the atmosphere eased.

There are a total of 10 Fields Medal winners sitting in this room, and Director Feverman and Professor Lyndon Strauss have won the Philippine Medal just now.

The remaining 20 or so have not won the Philippine Prize, but they each have other equally famous mathematics awards in the industry, such as the Wolf Prize, the Abel Prize, the Crawford Prize, and the Ramanujan Prize.

If an outlaw attacked this room at this time, causing the big guys inside to be wiped out, the mathematical community could go back more than ten years and return to the 20th century overnight.

Shen Qi, who had won the gold medal in the International Mathematics Olympiad, did not dare to speak, and he didn't know why he was called to audit the monthly meeting of the bigwigs of the mathematics department. It is said to be the meaning of the head of the mathematics department, Pfeverman.

All Shen Qi could do was pour coffee and pour coffee for Professor Witten beside him.

In this room, the IMO gold medalist is more precious than the Philippine winner.

Professor Witten made a thank you gesture and gave Shen Qi an encouraging look.

"The only surprise this year came from a graduate student who published a paper in JAMS, which is not easy to do. Director Peverman looked at Shen Qi and said, "No matter what, the proof of the Walsh conjecture is a meaningful thing, Shen Qi, tell me your point of view, about the Walsh conjecture." ”

"Oh?" Shen Qi was a little surprised, I was just a little Mengxin who was listening, what are you calling my name for, director?

"In Princeton, a publication in a journal is not considered an official publication, but it is only when we people pass it. Professor Witten told Shen Qi about Princeton's internal rules.

Well, and this rule, why don't you people go to heaven?

Shen Qi cleared his throat and adjusted his mentality to speak.