An academic delegation composed of more than 10 people, including Shen Qi, arrived in the United States for a friendly visit to the United States.

The members of the delegation, all from Yan University, were led by Shen Qi to Princeton University, which was the first stop of their visit to the United States.

Puda solemnly greeted Shen Qi and his entourage, and students dressed in black and orange costumes held a sign in front of the Nasu Building, with the words on it: "Welcome back, Qi!"

After coming to the University after five years, Shen Qi felt a lot, he smiled and waved frequently, and communicated warmly with the teachers and students.

Princeton is as calm and scholarly as ever, with students busy in the library and bars and scholars working in their respective fields of expertise.

Shen Qi, Zhou Yu'an, and Li Zhenqiang came to the lawn in front of the mathematics building, Shen and Zhou graduated from the Department of Mathematics of the University of Mathematics, and Li Zhenqiang came to Princeton, the holy land of mathematics, for the first time abroad.

"Calm down Lao Li, just take pictures, don't be too exaggerated in your expressions, okay?" Zhou Yu'an said.

"Fan's Building, the Temple of Mathematics. Li Zhenqiang took one picture after another and asked, "Can we go in and visit?"

"Head Shen said that we are here for academic exchanges this time, not tourists. Zhou Yu'an is still relatively calm, after all, he graduated from Puda University and is familiar with this place.

"You two well-known mathematicians are here for academic exchanges, and I will just follow to visit and learn. Li Zhenqiang smiled and looked at the door of the mathematics building, with a strong desire to explore.

At this time, a person came out of the building, wearing a suit, energetic, about the same age as Shen, Zhou, and Li, blonde hair and blue eyes, and a white man.

"Hey, Professor Shen!" the white man walked towards Shen Qi enthusiastically and shook hands with Shen Qi.

"Long time no see, Ralph. Shen Qi smiled and introduced Ralph to everyone: "This is Ralph, a professor in the Department of Mathematics. ”

Ralph has become a professor in the mathematics department of the university, which can be said to be very fast.

Zhou Yu'an knew Ralph, and he knew that Ralph was Shen Qi's student: "Ralph, I have read the paper you wrote on self-supporting functions, which is great. ”

"Professor Zhou, you are a mathematician who has cracked the Navier-Stokes equation, and I respect you. According to international practice, Ralph and Zhou Yu'an came to a wave of business exchanges, and the atmosphere of the meeting between Chinese and American mathematicians was very harmonious.

Finally, Ralph shook hands with Li Zhenqiang: "Professor Li, welcome to Princeton. ”

Li Zhenqiang is not as free as Shen Qi and Zhou Yu'an, he is a little restrained, and said in English with a strong accent: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ralph." ”

"Please. Ralph accompanied the three Chinese scholars into the mathematics building.

Shen Qi, Zhou Yu'an, and Ralph are all full professors, Li Zhenqiang is an associate professor, and Shen, Zhou, Ralph, and Li Zhenqiang are ranked according to their international popularity.

Shen Qi is Ralph's doctoral supervisor, while Zhou Yu'an, Li Zhenqiang and Shen Qi are of the same generation, and they are classmates. In terms of seniority, Ralph has to call Zhou Yu'an and Li Zhenqiang as uncles.

The mathematics circle is very simple and complex, if you rank according to seniority according to age, sometimes people will be confused, and the doctoral students with the doctoral supervisor of mathematics may be older than the doctoral supervisor.

Although Shen Qi has not been to the United States for five years, he has been paying attention to Princeton all the time.

The math building is still the math building, but it is no longer human.

In five years, the Department of Mathematics has changed three directors. Director Peverman stepped down to become Director Beckman and Director Knox.

Shen Qi is an old friend of Director Peverman, and he is not too familiar with Director Beckman and Director Knox.

The rest of the old friends, the former editor-in-chief of the Annals of Mathematics, Faltings, returned to Germany, Zhou Yu'an's doctoral supervisor Figari returned to his native Italy, and Ouye's doctoral supervisor Lyndon Strauss returned to Israel.

Coupled with Andrew Wiles, the former head of the Department of Mathematics who has long returned to the UK, Tao Zhexuan, who is thriving on the West Coast, and Mirno, who went to spend his old age on an overseas island, the Filipino Prize winners of the Department of Mathematics of the University of Mathematics are almost gone, and these Filipino Prize winners who have left the University include Shen Qi.

Not counting the General High Institute, there is only one Filipino Prize winner left in the Department of Mathematics of the University of Liberal Arts, and the Russian-born mathematician Okunkov is left.

Beckman, the previous head of the mathematics department, and Knox, the current head of the department, have not won a Philippine Award.

"By the way, what about Professor Müller?" Shen Qi asked, he and his doctoral supervisor, Professor Müller, have been in email contact, but in the past six months, Professor Müller has not replied to Shen Qi's email, as if the world has evaporated.

"It was unfortunate that Professor Müller was plagued by illness and he returned to Germany, and God blessed him. Ralph said regretfully.

"May he be healthy. Shen Qi felt worried, after all, Old Mueller was his master.

In the five years that Shen Qi has been absent from Princeton, the personnel changes in the Department of Mathematics at Pulpton University have been really big.

Old friends have walked away, they have fallen ill, and some have passed away.

After World War II and into the early 21st century, Princeton's mathematics department was at its peak, and there were more than a dozen Fields Medal winners here, and these Fields Medal winners were in their academic prime at the time, and they dominated the mathematical world for more than half a century.

With the old age, sickness, and job-hopping of the golden generation of the Department of Mathematics of the University of Liberal Arts, the former king of mathematics has encountered a period of weakness.

Princeton, or the usual method of American famous schools, is to poach whoever is famous, give money, power, status, and the American dream beckons to you.

However, times have changed, and now that some well-known scholars have left the United States, and the new bulls and calves have more options, they don't necessarily have to go to the United States to realize their dreams.

"Actually, in the process of building a community with a shared future for mankind, it doesn't matter where scholars work, what matters is ......" Shen Qi said as he suddenly saw his eyes light up, and he found an old friend: "Mary!"

A woman in front of her, mature and plump, she was holding a cardboard box, and she was surprised and happy when she saw Shen Qi: "Qi, you are here." ”

The woman is Mary, she and Shen Qi both worship Professor Muller as their teacher, and the two are considered to be brothers and sisters.

Mary is Shen Qi's senior sister, so Ralph has to call Mary aunt, the generational relationship in the Princeton mathematics department is too complicated, Ralph is a professor in the mathematics department, and studies the most profound self-defense functions, but he can't figure out such a complex generational relationship.

"Professor Schulz, I am sorry to see that you are leaving Princeton, and I wish you all the best in Germany. Ralph said to Mary as a colleague.

"I will, thank you. Mary smiled and nodded, her face beaming with happiness.

"Professor Schultz?" Shen Qi was a little puzzled, and when he saw Mary holding the box, he immediately began his speculation.

Mary is resigning, is she going to return to her native Germany?

When she first met Mary, her name was Marie Schulz-Schmidt, and Mary was married at that time, and her husband's name was Schultz, so her name included her husband's surname.

Later, Mary divorced, and she changed back to the name she had when she was single, Mary Schmidt.

Now, Mary has changed her name again, and her name is Mary Schultz.

What does this mean, and what does it mean?

"Mary, have you remarried Professor Schultz? is that Schultz?" Shen Qi speculated a little and came to a general conclusion.