"Next, I would like to invite Sir Arthur Hastings, a famous young researcher of British electromagnetism, an outstanding pianist who is on a par with the 'Foil Napoleon' Parisian sword saint François Bertrand, and a British diplomat who came all the way from London on behalf of the Royal Society, Sir Arthur Hastings, to give a speech!"

Amid the thunderous applause in the lecture hall, Arthur calmly climbed the steps to the center of the stage.

He was dressed in a sophisticated black tuxedo, with a glittering knighthood on his chest, and his shiny hair contrasted with his slightly reddened black eyes, showing his chivalrous demeanor and young scholarly temperament.

Everyone knew what was in the beautifully carved mahogany gift box he held in the palm of his hand.

It was the Copley Medal, a gold-plated silver medal that not only embodies Sir Godrey Copley's lofty vision for the advancement of human knowledge, but also symbolizes the highest recognition of the laureate by the entire British scientific community.

Even though this is not the first time that the French Academy of Sciences has been awarded the Copley Medal, this kind of honor that is not easily awarded is still precious even for the second time.

As for the basic equation of fluid mechanics, which Agareth identified as '9 strokes or cursive prefixes', it attracted the madness of the other two guys.

In a thunderous applause, Poisson, dressed in a dark black tuxedo and with a little wrinkle at the corners of his eyes, slowly stood up, he nodded slightly to the audience, in the face of the upcoming glory, Poisson took it calmly, his expression was as calm as ever, and his elegant demeanor was as if he was attending an ordinary academic conference.

He smiled and paused slightly, then continued: "At the beginning, the great British poet Pope once said: Nature and its laws are hidden in darkness. God said, let Newton go! And then all things became light. And I would say: whether light is a particle or a wave, it is hidden behind the disk. God said, let Poisson do the calculations! So we found the bright spots behind the discs. ”

Hearing this, Coriolis politely took off his hat and said goodbye, "Well, then, I wish you a smooth journey, Mr. Navier." We'll see you on campus in the afternoon, and don't forget that you still have two classes of applied mechanics in the afternoon at Luqiao School. ”

Although this paper did not meet the call for papers, it was incomprehensible that such an outstanding work was given in such a short period of time, and the definition of potential functions and functions of non-homogeneous differential equations with initial conditions or boundary conditions was even more groundbreaking.

As Arthur had answered half of his answers, the Red Devil only agreed to help Arthur write a math paper, but he didn't care if he didn't go off topic.

Arthur smiled contentedly when he saw that the joke had a good effect.

Coriolis smiled and said, "Really? That means you haven't been in the Academy for long, as he often does in front of Mr. Cauchy and Mr. Poisson. Although Mr. Navi is also a genius, those two are geniuses among geniuses, and there is a gap between geniuses. ”

Coriolis replied cheerfully, "It is as it should be. If he says yes, remember to let me know. I have classes scheduled at Polytechnic University during the day on weekdays, so I should visit him in the evening. ”

Liu Wei frowned and wanted to complain, but as soon as he raised his head, the dissatisfaction in his stomach was suddenly swallowed back.

Liu Wei was standing outside the lecture hall in despair and sighing, and suddenly, it was like a gust of wind was blowing in front of him.

At this time, he had already changed into a gorgeous and formal court dress, although his stature was not high, the scepter he held in his hand still set off his solemnity.

"Well, Gustav, see you in the afternoon."

Navi waved his hand in annoyance, and he said with a slight reproach: "We're not interested in the award ceremony, if we miss it, we will miss it." But, Liu Weil, since you have continued to derive Euler's equations on the basis of me, Poisson and Cauchy, why don't you show me these results? ”

When Liu Wei heard this, he immediately smiled bitterly and said, "I did take someone to the library, but I don't know if he is interested in fluid mechanics. And I don't think he'll have the time to deduce such a complex formula in the library. ”

"Today we have witnessed a milestone in this great undertaking, and I would like to begin by expressing my deepest respect to the Royal Society and Sir Arthur Hastings, on behalf of the French Government, for your contribution to the cause of world science. At the same time, I would like to express my high respect to Professor Poisson.

Arthur smiled and bowed slightly to the guests with one hand on his chest, and then spoke in fluent French.

In a warm and peaceful atmosphere, in a thunderous applause, Liu Wei, who was previously in charge of receiving Arthur, could only stand outside the door of the lecture hall and watch enviously.

Speaking of which, Liu Wei handed over the copy of "On Applied Mathematical Analysis in Electromagnetism" to the hands of two mechanics masters, although these two gentlemen do not know much about electromagnetism, but they can still understand the mathematical part.

Arthur had never written any math papers, let alone typed any drafts in his stomach. That paper was completely ghostwritten by the Red Devil Agareth, and as for why the Red Devil would go off-topic, it was because this guy didn't fully agree with the basic equations of fluid mechanics derived by Arthur.

The audience didn't expect Arthur to make a joke at this time, and they were caught off guard, and they immediately fell into a cheerful atmosphere of laughter and laughter.

Liu Wei was confused by the two of them: "I...... Sorry, gentlemen. I did do some research on fluid mechanics, but it wasn't very deep. I've also studied and analyzed Euler's equations, but I haven't deduced them backwards! All of my recent attention has been on expanding the concepts of differentiation and integration, especially on the theory of arbitrary derivatives. These jobs are already difficult in their own right, so where do I have time to be distracted by fluid mechanics? ”

Therefore, after the Red Devil and Arthur deducted words from the contract for a long time, the Duke of Hell only agreed to pay half of the payment.

"Mr. Navan, Mr. Coriolis? Didn't you two go to the lecture hall for Mr. Poisson's award ceremony? ”

Before he could come back to his senses, he felt as if the sunlight in front of him was blocked by some uninteresting guy.

Navi recalled, "Is there such a person in the Academy of Sciences?" Or is he a young scholar who has just recently emerged? ”

Because there were so many guests present today, not only many academicians of the Academy of Sciences, but even the Academy of Arts and the Academy of Arts next door also came to join in the fun, and the seats in the front row were naturally reserved for the most respected immortals.

What made him feel even more frustrated was the paper he held in his hand - "On Applied Mathematical Analysis in Electromagnetism".

If he had only been defeated by Poisson, Liu Wei might not have been so frustrated.

Navi asked, "Why do you say that?" ”

Coriolis scratched his head in confusion, and he tentatively said to Navier, "Do you think it's possible that Mr. Ampere lent the key, or maybe they once took a stranger to the library?" ”

"Sir Arthur Hastings?"

When Arthur said this, the audience was already bursting with cheers and applause.

That's why I crossed the English Channel to France and Paris with the highest honour of the Royal Society. I'm here to be able to get the Copley Medal into his hands. It may be a trivial honour for Mr. Poisson, but I hope he will feel the most sincere praise and hope from the entire British scientific community.

Coriolis was also interested: "His math skills are so strong that I want to ask him to help me find the expression of the force I imagined." Liu Wei, can you introduce him to me? ”

Liu Wei sighed and said, "Because the gentleman I mentioned only spent more than half an hour in the library, and he should have used it to write his thesis for half an hour." ”

Even so, however, Sir Arthur Hastings' attainment of mathematics has definitely reached an unusually frightening level. He is by no means a crane tail in the field of mathematics, as he himself said, but an outstanding mathematician who has the strength to challenge the academicians of the Department of Mathematics of the Academy of Sciences.

Liu Wei nodded and said, "Of course there is no problem with this. But Sir Hastings was a distinguished guest from the Royal Society, and it was he who presented Mr. Poisson with the Copley Medal. He seems to be a very kind man, but I have to ask him for his opinion first. ”

He couldn't understand why Sir Hastings, who had come from London, could deliver such a logical and flawless masterpiece in just over half an hour.

Although Navi was usually a very calm scholar, he was distracted by this sudden formula today, and he just said, "Sorry, Gustav, I may not be able to discuss with you the problem of forces in your rotating coordinate system today. I'd have to go to the office to find Ampere and ask him if he's been to the library lately. ”

All in all, if it really only took half an hour, it would be inhuman.

As Descartes said, treat everything with the utmost skepticism until you discover the first principles that are clear and unquestionable. I also believe that in science, doubt is always easier to get closer to the truth than conviction. The true glory of science lies not in never making mistakes, but in constantly striving to recognize mistakes and learn from them.

Liu Wei shrugged his shoulders and said: "I don't know what the truth is, but the paper is here, and many of the theories and concepts in it are also new, so there is no doubt that this is the work of Sir Arthur Hastings himself." As to whether he wrote the paper in advance or on the spot, I don't know. ”

Thiers solemnly took the medal from the box and carefully hung it around Poisson's neck. All of a sudden, everyone in the hall stood up and applauded to congratulate Poisson.

"Of course, I don't say this to discredit Mr. Poisson's reputation. On the contrary, I have great respect for him, and all British scientists have great respect for him who pushed the frontier of scientific research.

"It is a great honour for me, distinguished members of the French Academy of Sciences, the Academies of Letters, and the Academies of Arts, and the most distinguished members of the Academia, to cross the English Channel as a messenger of the Royal Society, to this hall, which symbolizes the crystallization of the highest wisdom of the French nation and the birth of countless brilliant ideas.

The connoisseurs knew if there was one as soon as they made a move, and after reading this paper, they also made the same judgment as Liu Wei.

Because they know that from today onwards, the name of Seamon Denis Poisson will be alongside Stephen Gray, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Cavendis, Hans Oster, Michael Faraday and many other bright stars who have won awards.

Coming from a modest military family, he initially studied medicine, but had no interest in it, so he began to delve into mathematics. He was an outstanding graduate of École Polytechnique, a distinguished disciple and loyal follower of Laplace and Lagrange, and began his career as an assistant professor at the age of 21, a professor of calculus at the age of 25, and an academician of the French Academy of Sciences at the age of 31 and a member of the Academic Council. ”

Hearing this, Coriolis groaned for a moment, then nodded with a smile: "Of course there is." ”

Coriolis and Liu Wei watched Navi leave in a hurry, and Liu Wei smiled dumbly, "It's the first time I've seen Mr. Navi so out of shape since I met him. ”

Liu Wei sighed faintly when he heard this: "Of course I understand that only the most talented geniuses can receive the Copley Medal. Alas...... I've tried my best to delve into mathematics alone, but what about Mr. Cauchy and Mr. Poisson? They are like an encyclopedia walking on the earth, and a single page is enough for the average person to study for years. ”

In the eyes of the learned Duke of Hell, this fundamental equation that could not explain all fluid phenomena was a stinking piece of garbage.

It's like Agareth asking Arthur: Do you know how to write the fennel word for fennel beans?

Arthur told him: I know that this character has 9 strokes, and it is cursive.

Liu Wei looked at Poisson who was starry and couldn't help sighing.

As soon as Arthur was seated on the stage, the gentlemen of the Academy of Sciences who were present at the ceremony spontaneously stopped applauding, and all eyes were fixed on him, intending to hear what the representative of the Royal Society would say.

Liu Wei was surprised: "Is there really one?" Who are you referring to? ”

It can be seen that this small joke is very much in the appetite of these lively and cheerful Frenchmen, so that many people cannot help but stand up and applaud him.

Therefore, as an ordinary teaching assistant, Liu Wei did not even have the right to get a seat in the lecture hall, he could only stand quietly outside and watch.

As Voltaire said: the realization of a great cause requires determination, ability, organization and a sense of responsibility, and the existence of the French Academy of Sciences is the best practice of this sentence. And the gentleman I will mention next is the best of the French Academy of Sciences, and is an example for all our natural philosophical researchers.

"It seems that this gentleman really doesn't have time to derive the formula, and this paper alone is enough to consume his mind."

At the other end of the stage, Adolfo Thiers, president of the French Senate, who was the guest of honour sent by the French government to attend the ceremony, also slowly took the stage.

Agareth, of course, can't say that Arthur is completely wrong, however, Arthur is quite limited in what he is right.

Navey pinched his chin and frowned, "If you didn't derive this formula, then who would it be?" There were very few people who had the keys to the library, except for me, Ampère, who Poisson had, but he didn't go to that place very often, and then there was Arago, who had the keys to all the places as the permanent secretary of the academy for life...... But he shouldn't have been so quiet as to throw me a derivation formula in the library. ”

Because in the entire French Academy of Sciences, and indeed in the entire scientific community, the guy who can wrestle his wrist can count it on one hand.

Coriolis smiled happily and said, "I didn't know that you were also doing research in fluid mechanics, but I always thought that you were studying electrodynamics with Mr. Ampère and Mr. Mathieu. ”

As if laughing at himself, Liu Wei picked up Arthur's paper and said, "Yes, for me, it may be years, but for Sir Hastings, it's half an hour. It's crazy, a man is not only proficient in mathematics and electromagnetism, but also a detective in London, a master of piano, a master of dueling, a diplomat, and a good at speaking. You didn't see it, but Sir Hastings just used a few words to make everyone in the lecture hall laugh. While Mr. Poisson may be a step ahead of Sir Hastings in scientific research, he is still inferior in the scope of his field. Mr. Coriolli, has there ever been such a man of outrageous erudition in British history? ”

Allow me to quote Montaigne: The most important quality in us is a sense of responsibility for our actions. Mr. Poisson's ingenuity and perseverance, his sense of responsibility for scientific research, have not only brought glory to France, but also added inestimable value to the treasury of knowledge for all mankind. I sincerely hope that this cross-sea scientific exchange will become an eternal example for scientific researchers from the two countries and the world to work together in the future......"

Therefore, Liu Wei can only think that Sir Hastings's paper has probably been polished for a long time, and he is only rewriting it today.

However, even such a gambling paper is enough to hit Liu Wei, who has been grinding papers for several years.

"This is something that can be written in more than half an hour? He probably wrote it early in the morning and brought it here, right? ”

I, Arthur Hastings, hereby declare for the record that the Copley Medal of the Royal Society of Great Britain and Ireland in 1832 is ...... Mr. Simon Denis Poisson, who has made outstanding contributions to analytical mathematics, applied mathematics, theoretical mechanics, thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, optics, ballistics and hydraulics. ”

But it is clear that Liu Wei's speculation about Arthur's thesis is absolutely off-topic.

"Huh?" Realizing that he might be wrong for Liu Wei, Navi slapped his forehead and said, "Ah! I'm sorry about that. Liu Wei, I'm sorry, I was so excited just now that my brain was hot. But ......"

Coriolis smiled and replied, "Really? Liu Wei, you still overestimate ordinary people, Cauchy and Poisson's page is not a matter of several years for ordinary people. Studying for years refers to a genius like you. ”

Arthur smiled and opened the mahogany box in his hand, displaying the brilliant and magnificent Copley Medal in front of everyone.

If you ask Liu Wei what he feels in his heart at this time, it is like singing in the lyrics - that year eighteen, at the alma mater ball, standing like a minion. At that time, I swore with tears in my eyes that you must see me.

Although this is not an alma mater ball, Liu Wei is not eighteen years old. But as a 24-year-old mathematician, he does feel like a little minion at Poisson's award ceremony.

"That's right!" Na Wei clapped his hands and said, "Liu Wei, have you taken anyone to the library recently?" And that guy is still interested in fluid mechanics? ”

Coriolis laughed and said, "Have you forgotten? He was also a knight, also a Britishman, and in addition to science he knew theology and economics well, and was a great member of government. ”

When Liu Wei heard this, he smiled helplessly: "Isaac Newton? ”

(End of chapter)