July 4, 2022.

St. Petersburg, Russia.

This year's International Congress of Mathematicians will be held on July 6 at the St. Petersburg International Conference Center.

Now, with two days to go, mathematicians and math enthusiasts from all over the world are already on their way to St. Petersburg to prepare for the event.

In addition, the number of people attending this year's conference has increased by far more than in the past.

According to official figures, there were more than 3,000 participants at the 2018 International Congress of Mathematicians in Rio de Janeiro, and more than 4,000 people have registered for this year's International Congress of Mathematicians in St. Petersburg.

In order to welcome the more than 4,000 participants, it is said that the St. Petersburg International Conference Center has undergone a special renovation, so it can be said that it is ready for battle.

至于今年为什么能够吸引到4000多人的参加，众人大概都能猜到主要原因。

That was the rumor that had been circulating in the mathematical community for several months about the proof of the existence and smoothness of the solution to one of the seven mathematical problems of the millennium, the Neville-Stokes equation.

If it was a rumor from ordinary people, most of the others would definitely not believe it, but now it is different, now this rumor is spread from Li Mu, which makes people have to be suspicious.

After all, that's a mathematical conjecture crusher.

……

France.

Collège de France.

As one of the most important academic departments in France, the École de France brings together almost all of France's top scholars.

For example, in its mathematics department, there are many French Fields Medal winners, and they all serve in it.

At this time, in an office in the mathematics department of the Collège de France.

Laurent Laphguet appeared and said to an old professor sitting in his office, "Leon, aren't you going to the International Congress of Mathematicians?" ”

The old professor, who was called Leon, raised his head and glanced at Laurent Laphguer, then smiled and waved his hand and said, "I won't go, I'm old, it's tiring to go there, and there is nothing I'm interested in anyway." ”

Laurent Laffergue raised her eyebrows: "Oh? The Neville-Stokes equation, aren't you still interested? You're studying partial differential equations, and Boltzmann's equations, but you don't plan to go? ”

利翁摆了摆手，笑着道：“什么纳维尔-斯托克斯方程，到现在不就是一些传言嘛，要是传言能够成真的话，那黎曼猜想不是早就被证明十几二十遍了，常温超导体都诞生了。 ”

"Okay." Laurent Laffergue shrugged her shoulders and didn't say much.

He was a Fields Medal winner in 2002, and Pierre-Louis Lyon was a Fields Medal winner in 1994.

Although he did not study fluid mechanics or the Neville-Stokes equations, this did not prevent him from being interested in this matter, but what he did not expect was that the person in front of him, who really studied partial differential equations, was not interested.

Of course, maybe Leon was right?

After all, it's just rumors up to now.

However, Laurent Laphguer didn't care so much, and he didn't go to the conference because of this rumor anyway.

"I'm going to take a leave of absence, and I'm ready to fly." He said, "But if the rumors are true, I can probably already imagine you hurrying over." ”

"Impossible, absolutely impossible." Leon waved his hand: "If he really proves the Nass equation, I will eat this screen on the spot." ”

As he spoke, he gestured to the monitor in front of him.

Laurent Laphguer burst out laughing.

"Okay, I'll wait, I hope you bring this screen with you when you come over."

Leon gave him a middle finger.

Laurent Laphguet smiled and turned away.

Of course, discussions like theirs are happening throughout the mathematical community.

Some people think that Li Mu is very likely to have proved it, while others always think that rumors are rumors and cannot be true.

Regardless, more people are coming to this year's International Congress of Mathematicians.

……

St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport.

As a plane flying from the UK arrived at the airport, Li Mu carried his luggage and walked down from it.

"It's finally here."

Looking at the surrounding scene, Li Mu sighed with emotion.

"St. Petersburg."

Behind him, Andrew Wiles also glanced around.

Of course, it wasn't just the two of them, Lucas Licht, Simon Downers, and several mathematics professors from Oxford also came.

This kind of quadrennial mathematicians' event, unless it is for physical reasons or other circumstances, basically all mathematicians will come.

"I don't know if I can see Perelman at this year's mathematicians' conference."

Licht thinks of one of the most famous mathematicians of our time, and of course among mathematicians all over the world.

Donus shook his head: "Perelman...... Well, forget it, with this person's temper, if it weren't for the big thing, I'm afraid he wouldn't have let him come. ”

“好了，咱们先直接去酒店吧，距离正式开始，还要到后天呢。 ”

When everyone heard Wiles's words, they all nodded, said no more, and went directly to the hotel they had booked.

……

Then, before the official start of the conference, the group also walked around.

St. Petersburg State University, as a co-organizer of the International Congress of Mathematicians, also warmly invited the participants to visit St. Petersburg State University.

Here, too, they saw what Russian-style mathematics education was like.

Russian mathematics is quite famous in the world, and it can even be said that it is very strong.

Throughout the 20th century, there were many top mathematicians from Soviet Russia, including Rukin, Alexandrov, Kolmogorov, Gellfand, etc., and there were also top mathematicians like Grigory Perelman who even proved one of the seven problems of the millennium, the Poincaré conjecture.

Of course, not only at the level of top mathematicians, but also at the average level of mathematics, Russia is also very strong in mathematics, at least not like the United Kingdom, where top mathematicians are top-notch, but the level of mathematics of ordinary people is so low that even the prime minister cannot calculate what 8 times 9 is.

Of course, from the way of education, Li Mu also felt a familiarity, at least the style of this education is very similar to Huaguo.

However, this is not surprising, after all, in the last century, Huaguo learned a lot of things from Big Brother, including the way of education.

"Professor Li, it seems that our students are very fond of your presence."

After some visits, everyone returned to the dean's office in the School of Mathematics.

Dean Bolognikov said to Li Mu with a smile.

"I'm flattered, too." Li Mu also said with a smile.

After a walk around just now, those math students who recognized him would exclaim his name.

What does it mean to be an international superstar?

"Maybe inviting you to a class with us will make our students happier, but I don't know if you want to." 博洛尼科夫做出了邀请。

"Of course, it's my pleasure."

For this kind of thing, Li Mu naturally did not refuse.

"Haha, thank you so much!" Bolognikov suddenly stood up happily and shook hands with Li Mu.

Being able to let Li Mu take a math class in their academy doesn't know how many other brother colleges and universities can envy him.

After some discussion, Li Mu decided to hold the class on the day after the International Congress of Mathematicians.

As for what classes to take?

Li Mu said that he would make a decision when the time came.

In this regard, Bolonikov naturally didn't say anything, anyway, Li Mu could talk whatever he wanted, as long as this lesson was on them.

"But then again, I remember that Professor Perelman also taught at your university, and now he has resigned?"

After chatting and chatting, this topic cannot be avoided after all.

Hearing this, Bolognikov sighed and said: "Yes, he has completely resigned, after all, he has completely separated himself from the mathematical community. ”

"I think I was still a very good colleague with him back then, who would have thought that he should have gone down in history, but now he has gradually disappeared."

Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but feel pity.

Li Mu asked, "Didn't he continue to study mathematics?" ”

"Well...... Bolognikov said, "he's still researching, he's just separated from the world of mathematics, but not from mathematics." ”

"I once asked him, and he said that mathematics was his hobby and that he would never part with it, but unfortunately, he never showed his results to outsiders now."

"That's right." Li Mu nodded slightly.

In modern society, there are still such people, which is really respectful and unimaginable.

博洛尼科夫摩挲了一下下巴：“不过我有一次去他家做客的时候，还是在他家的那块黑板上看到过他对黎曼猜想的研究，或许他一直都在研究黎曼猜想吧。 ”

"It's not impossible that even it has been proven, after all, he doesn't publish his research. ”

He smiled, and suddenly looked at Li Mu again, "Maybe, Professor Li, maybe you can become Perelman's friend." ”

"As the saying goes, genius friends are often geniuses."

……

Time passed quickly.

July 6 also arrived.

Outside the St. Petersburg International Conference Center, there was a huge crowd of mathematicians and mathematics enthusiasts from all over the world, as well as journalists from all walks of life, gathered here to march towards the conference center.

In addition, outside the conference center, there are naturally some civil mathematicians.

To a certain extent, these folk mathematicians can be regarded as a sight to behold at every international congress of mathematicians.

They put a custom-made poster next to them, announcing that various mathematical conjectures had been solved.

"In fact, there are relatively few of these people this year, and I estimate that there are almost half of them."

Li Mu and the others also walked at the entrance, looking at the excited faces of these civil mathematicians, Wiles said at this time.

"Is there so much less?" Li Mu was a little surprised.

"It's not because of you." 怀尔斯笑着说道。

Li Mu looked confused: "Because of me? What does it have to do with me? ”

Wiles: "Think about it, how many civil mathematicians have been robbed of the Goldbach conjecture, the twin prime conjecture, and the hail conjecture that you have demonstrated?" ”

"Ah......h

Li Mu suddenly burst out laughing.

Then he is really a sin, a sin.

Speaking of which, the hardest hit area for civil mathematicians is not these conjectures in the field of number theory.

As a result, now that these conjectures have been terminated by him, the civil mathematicians naturally have no choice but to give up - of course, not completely, at least when he glances, he sees that there is a civil science who actually claims that the Goldbach conjecture he proved is wrong.

But at this time, a few more police cars drove over, and then a few big men in Russian police uniforms got out of it, directly cleaned up this person, and finally drove away.

It is worthy of Russian-style law enforcement......

Li Mu observed a moment of silence for these folk mathematicians.

Of course, he didn't continue to care about these things, and soon, they also entered the conference center.

The time passed quickly, and all the participants were basically sitting in the conference hall.

More than 4,000 people almost filled the conference hall.

As time passed, finally, the conference was about to begin.

Provsky, chairman of the organizing committee of this year's International Congress of Mathematicians and director of the Institute of Mathematics of St. Petersburg State University, walked out first, came to the rostrum, faced the more than 4,000 participants, and said with a smile: "Everyone, please be quiet. ”

Under his control, the conference hall, which had been constantly talking, soon fell silent.

随着再没有任何杂音后，普洛夫斯基开口道：“今天，是第29届国际数学家大会正式召开的时日。 ”

"We welcomed more than 4,000 colleagues from the mathematical community to participate in this grand event."

"On behalf of Russia, and on behalf of all the members of the Organizing Committee of the 29th International Congress of Mathematicians, I would like to welcome you!"

He bowed deeply, and the audience burst into applause.

Later, Provsky went on to introduce other situations, all in all, as the organizer of Russia, what he said was basically welcoming everyone.

Then, it was the turn of the president of the International Mathematical Union, Carlos Kenig, to speak.

"The International Congress of Mathematicians has been held for 29 years, and I am honored to be the President of the International Mathematical Union four years ago to preside over this year. ”

“国际数学家大会一直以来的目的，就是希望每一位参会者，都能够在这场数学盛会中，认识新朋友，团聚老朋友，在这个过程中，我们也相互分享新的知识，来让我们的数学界变得更加活跃起来……”

Although everyone is used to hearing these scenes, they still have to be told.

It's like a kind of procedural justice.

Of course, Carlos Kenig didn't talk for long.

Although he was not a Fields Medal winner like the previous president of the International Mathematical Union, Mr. Mori Shigefumi, he was twice invited to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians, one of which was a one-hour plenary speaker.

So most of them don't like this kind of scene for too long.

Soon, "Well, I think everyone doesn't want to continue listening to what they just said, and of course, I don't want to continue to say it." ”

在阵阵笑声中，卡洛斯·凯尼格说道：“所以，接下来，就直接进入到大家都最关心的环节吧。 ”

Kenig's words immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the audience.

The opening ceremony of each International Congress of Mathematicians is the most concerned.

Because at the opening ceremony, the most important awards in mathematics will be officially announced at this opening ceremony.

The Chern, Gauss, Abacus (formerly Naiwang Linna Prize) and, most of all, the Fields Medal!

Obviously, the next link to enter is this award session.

Feeling the emotions of the audience below, Carlos Kenig also smiled slightly, and then said: "Then, the first thing we will award is the Chern. ”

The Chern Prize is an award established to commemorate Chern's great contribution to mathematics.

This is a lifetime achievement award in mathematics, and although it has only been awarded twice so far, and this year is the third edition, it is still attracting the attention of all the older generation of mathematicians in the world.

"And at this year's International Congress of Mathematicians, the winner of the Chern Shiingshen Prize is Barry Mazur!"

"Thank you for his profound discoveries in topology, arithmetic geometry, and number theory, as well as for his leadership and generosity in shaping the next generation of mathematicians!"

Amid warm applause, everyone turned their attention to the winner and congratulated him.

Beside Li Mu, Wiles said with a smile: "Mazur finally won the award, this is what he deserves." ”

He had worked with Mazur back then, and their experience and some of Mazur's results were one of the key elements in his success in proving Fermat's theorem.

Therefore, he naturally expressed his sincere blessings for Mazur to win the award.

Soon, the 84-year-old walked onto the podium and received his award with a smile on his face.

Next, there is the Gauss Award, as well as the Abacus Award.

The Gauss Prize is awarded exclusively to research in the field of applied mathematics and is the highest honor in the field of applied mathematics.

The Abacus Award is awarded to mathematicians who have made outstanding contributions to the field of information science and mathematics.

In terms of the Gauss Prize, Li Mu was also eligible for it, but the final winner was another mathematician named Elliott Lieb.

In this way, the first three awards were finally awarded.

"Then it's time for our key awards."

On the rostrum, Carlos Kenig, who had already presented three awards in succession, was not tired at all, and even became more and more excited.

Even the voice that spoke became excited.

Because then there is-

"Fields Medal!"

(End of chapter)