Linear Algebra and Optics
During this special period, Shen Qi had two identities.
In mathematics, Shen Qi holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Yenching University. He neither started working nor immediately pursued graduate studies, remaining in a period of free development in Mathematical Research.
In physics, Shen Qi to pursue a double degree. His other identity is that of an unofficial undergraduate student in the School of Physics, who needs to complete the required credits.
For Shen Qi, scoring 60 points in Advanced Mathematics and Linear Algebra was no problem at all; he could just casually take the tests and pass.
The difficulty lies in factors beyond human control.
Of course, there are countermeasures.
The exams for Linear Algebra and Optics conflict in time, but Shen Qi can choose to take one of them. He can take the retake exam for the other course next semester.
This was the only option; Shen Qi chose to take the Linear Algebra.
Summer vacation is approaching, and May and June are the peak period for exams.
In early June, Shen Qi arrived at the door of a classroom where he would be taking the final exam for Linear Algebra with the first-year students from the School of Physics.
Just as he was about to enter the examination room, Shen Qi spotted a familiar face: Professor Ren Buqi.
"Teacher Ren, what a coincidence, are you proctoring the exam?" Shen Qi greeted Professor Ren.
Professor Ren pointed upwards. "Upstairs and downstairs, it's all under my jurisdiction."
First- and second-year students from the School of Physics are taking their final exams in this teaching building. Professor Ren his strong sense of justice and high moral character, has been appointed as the chief inspector, and he will patrol between the exam rooms on the first and second floors.
"Teacher Ren, is the optics exam for second-year students on the second floor?" Shen Qi asked casually.
Professor Ren said, "Rooms 201 to 204 are all optics exam rooms. The exam starts at 9:15. Shen Qi, which subject are you taking today?"
Shen Qi was quite surprised. "By the way, the optics exam has been postponed? I remember it was originally scheduled to start at 9 o'clock, at the same time as the first-year Linear Algebra exam."
"We've made some temporary adjustments," Professor Ren said before going upstairs to inspect the examination rooms.
The final exams for Linear Algebra and optics were scheduled 15 minutes apart – great news!
A few minutes before 9 o'clock, Shen Qi very discreetly sneaked into classroom 103.
The classroom was filled with dozens of first-year students from the Physics Department. The enemy force was too large to be trifled with.
"Isn't that Shen King of Show Offs? You've wandered onto the wrong set. Mathematics Department students don't take Linear Algebra exams." Someone spotted Shen Qi.
"Just a cameo, just a cameo." Shen Qi's seat was in the last row, trying not to attract too much attention from the students of the Physics Department.
At 9:00 AM sharp, the final exam for Linear Algebra began.
The test covers fundamental concepts such as determinants, matrices, systems of linear equations, and quadratic forms. The question types are fill-in-the-blank and problem-solving.
Shen Qi his pen and immediately replied.
These basic Linear Algebra questions were too easy for Shen Qi; they were all free points.
The only workload is matrix calculation.
This is like asking a Fields Medal to do 100 elementary school math problems, involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division within 100.
Even if Fields Medal winner has extraordinary computing power, he is still a human being, not Computer Science.
Even the most brilliant mathematician would need at least a second or two to solve an elementary school math problem, including reading the question and performing calculations.
Even Fields Medal winner would need at least a few minutes to complete 100 elementary school math problems.
Shen Qi faced a similar situation; he knew the problem-solving logic by heart and could not omit any calculation steps.
Swish swish swish!
In this first- Linear Algebra final exam, Shen Qi used all his knowledge, writing with lightning speed, unleashing a light-like hand speed he hadn't displayed in a long time.
Shen Qi completed the entire exam in 20 minutes.
Shen Qi stood up, handed in his paper, Shen Qi quietly left classroom 103. He left as quietly as he came, tidied his hair, and went straight to the second floor.
Five minutes into the final exam for optics for second-year students in the Department of Physics.
Shen Qi paced back and forth between the doors of classrooms 201, 202, 203, and 204, wanting to go in but also feeling uneasy.
Looking at the second-year students buried in their exams and problems in the classroom, Shen Qi looked on with envy, just like a child who had dropped out of school and longed to go to school, eager to enter the classroom and learn knowledge and receive education with the older students.
To be honest, Shen Qi hadn't participated in a proper group exam in a long time. The Linear Algebra exam that just ended was the first one in half a year.
When it comes to exams, there's nothing more to it than practice makes perfect.
For Shen Qi, spending 20 minutes completing a Linear Algebra exam for physics students was already past the allotted time.
The situation is a bit bad; we've exceeded the time limit by 5 minutes.
This Linear Algebra exam is so simple that the practical results for both Level 8 and Level 6 math test takers are about the same. Level 8 actually has a lot of unrealistic potential; it's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
After all, we're in our first year of university now; time waits for no one.
If he were in peak exam form during his first semester of freshman year, Shen Qi was confident that he could finish the Linear Algebra exam in 15 minutes.
It's too late; it's too late to say anything.
The optics exam has begun.
Forget it, I'll just take the optics retake exam next semester.
I never imagined I'd have to take the retake exam one day. Haha, Shen Qi laughed, a slightly bitter laugh.
At this moment, Professor Ren strolled out of classroom 202 and noticed Shen Qi, who seemed preoccupied. "What are you doing at the classroom door? Are you going in or leaving?"
"I'm about to leave. The optics exam has already started, and I'm late," Shen Qi said regretfully.
Professor Ren glanced at his watch. "Being 10 minutes late is still allowed entry into the exam room, and your exam eligibility is retained. Our Physics Department's rule is that papers cannot be submitted within the first 15 minutes of the exam starting, and being more than 15 minutes late will result in disqualification and a score of zero."
"Oh, I see!" Shen Qi exclaimed excitedly, feeling as if a new path had opened up before him.
When a man is filled with desire for an exam, even God might be moved.
"Go to room 201." Professor Ren led Shen Qi into classroom 201 and assigned him an exam seat.
Besides Shen Qi, the other students in the classroom were second-year students from the School of Physics, some majoring in physics and others in astronomy.
Shen Qi chose to pursue a second degree in physics, while his senior Mu Rong, studied astronomy for her undergraduate degree.
There are only a few more female students in the Physics Department than in the Mathematics Department; the majority are male students.
Shen Qi arrived 10 minutes late, which attracted a little attention from the second-year students. However, the attention didn't last long, and everyone went back to working on their own exams. The optics exam was quite difficult.
After receiving the exam paper, Shen Qi roused himself to take the test. This was his second exam in half an hour, spanning from his freshman year to his sophomore year.
The optics textbook used by the Physics Yanjing University Physics Department is "Foundations of Modern Optics," published by Yenching University itself.
This textbook has a certain depth and breadth, covering everything from classical wave optics to modern transformation optics.
Fermat's principle and variable refractive index optics, Fraunhofer diffraction, Fourier transform optics and phase factor analysis, Holography, propagation of light in crystals, absorption, dispersion and scattering of light... these are all important exam topics.
"This optics exam is much harder than the Linear Algebra one we just had. It's definitely at the level of a second-year university student." Shen Qi stopped writing when he got to the last question and started thinking about it carefully.