Fame Comes at a Cost
Shen Qi escorted Ou Ye back to Columbia University and took the opportunity to discuss academic issues with Gong Changwei.
Back in Princeton, Shen Qi reviewed his recent achievements.
During my year and a half studying at Princeton University, I published five papers, three of which were published in Top Four Journals, solving the Wash Conjecture, the Muller -Shen theorem, and the Shen Proximity Theorem, respectively.
It can be said that these three papers published in Top Four Journals and the solutions to these three important problems are Shen Qi's capital for his future career in the Mathematics Community, and a very important academic asset for him.
Having won the Chern Prize in Mathematics, the Ford Prize, and the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics in just over a year, Shen Qi's ambition was further fueled, and he longed to win even more prestigious awards.
The brand power of an individual award is directly linked to the influence and authority of the awarding organization.
The Chern Prize in Mathematics is awarded by the Chinese Mathematical Society, the Ford Prize by the American Mathematical Society, and the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics by a foundation established by several wealthy individuals.
In the view of those in the mathematics community, the American Mathematical Society has a high level of influence and authority.
The Ford Prize is a small brand under the American Mathematical Society. The American Mathematical Society has more than a dozen other Math Prize brands, among which the Cole Prize and the Steele Prize have the highest brand power.
Without a doubt, the most influential awarding organization in the world is the Institute of Mutual Education (IMU), which has established the Fields Medal, the Ramanujan Prize, the Nehari Prize, the Gauss Prize, and the Chern Prize.
The first two brands under IMU need no further explanation: the Nehari Prize is awarded to mathematicians in the field of Computer Science, the Gauss Prize is awarded to mathematicians in applied fields, and the Chern Prize and the Chern Prize in Mathematics are different awards.
The Chern Prize is an international award given every four years. It is a Lifetime Achievement Award, and it is almost impossible for mathematicians under the age of 60 to Chern Prize.
The other two major awards, the Wolf Prize and the Abel Prize, are awarded by the Wolf Foundation in Germany and the Norwegian government, respectively. Both W+A awards are also Lifetime Achievement Award, and super-achievers like Milner, Wiles, Deligne were all over 60 years old when they received them.
Of course, there's also the Clayford Prize, which is said to be on par with the Nobel Prize and is awarded by the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences. This award is given out every six years; there are no shortcuts, just have to wait it out.
Shen Qi did some quick calculations and realized that he didn't have many brand awards he could win in the next few years: the Fields Medal, the Ramanujan Prize, the Cole Prize, and the Steele Prize —just a few.
He's still too young; this is perhaps the biggest obstacle Shen Qi is currently facing.
Speaking of academic capital, the Wash Conjecture, the Muller -Shen theorem, and Shen Proximity Theorem are enough for Shen Qi to live off for several years, while the Riemann Hypothesis is enough for Shen Qi to live off his past achievements for a lifetime.
The proof of the Riemann Hypothesis based on the 'twin matching method' is only pre-recorded on arVix to demonstrate its academic originality and to provide a platform for mathematicians worldwide to view and appreciate it.
This paper on the Riemann Hypothesis, which Ou Ye described as "half a divine achievement," still needs to be formally published in a journal or academic monograph.
Shen Qi's "History of Number Theory" contains important content, but it will still be some time before it is completed and published.
"So, let's submit the first half to a journal." Shen Qi started working, adjusting the "Proof of the Riemann Hypothesis Based on the 'Twin Matching Method'" to the standard journal article format.
The workload is minimal; it only involves minor formatting adjustments, and the content itself doesn't need to be changed.
Just after adjusting the format of his journal article, Shen Qi received a phone call; a representative from IMU had come to visit him.
On the Princeton campus, Shen Qi met with Mr. Weiser. Andre Wiese, a representative from IMU.
The headquarters of IMU is located in Berlin, the capital of Germany. Mr. Weiser is a German-American who was born in the United States and speaks fluent English, German and Hebrew.
There are quite a few Germans in the mathematics community, both historically and in the contemporary era.
Mr. Weiser personally delivered an invitation to Shen Qi to show his appreciation.
Shen Qi opened the invitation and glanced at it. "October, International Congress of Mathematicians, 45-minute presentation time. Thank you very much, Mr. Weiser, it's a lot of work."
"You deserve it, Shen," Wieser said with a hint of envy. "I used to be a mathematician too, but now I mainly work in administration. If I had to choose again, I would definitely stay in Munich and become a mathematics professor."
"You can do that now too, apply to become a professor, Mr. Weiser," Shen Qi said.
"I haven't done any front-line mathematical research for ten years. I've almost forgotten how to develop a double Fourier series. No academy would hire a professor like me." Wieser handed Shen Qi a business card and said, "The front-line research is your responsibility. We'll handle the support from the rear."
Shen Qi took the business card and looked at it. "Mr. Weiser, you have another identity? Senior Manager of Springer Publishing Group?"
"IMU is poor; the Fields Medal Scholarship only offers 15,000 Canadian dollars. I don't receive a salary at IMU," Wieser smiled and said, "I have to survive; I need a job to support my family."
A senior manager at Springer Publishing Group is considered a respectable person; he has no problem supporting his family and can live a very comfortable life.
Springer Publishing Group of Germany is a giant in the scientific literature publishing industry, on par with Elsevier Group and Nature Publishing Group of the United Kingdom.
Elsevier, which focuses on medicine and biochemistry, owns renowned journals such as Cell, the Lancet, and Tetrahedron. People engaged in research in the fields of medicine and biochemistry have all heard of or subscribed to these journals.
Nature, published by the UK's Nature Publishing Group, is a household name, while Springer publishes nearly 90% of the major mathematics journals and monographs.
All Top Four Journals are published and distributed by Springer. The English versions of the B series of several core Chinese mathematics journals are also published by Springer and distributed worldwide.
Group-based operation and globalization are the current trends in academic publishing.
Wieser his identity as a senior manager at Springer to Shen Qi, seemingly wanting to discuss cooperation. "Shen, actually all your important mathematical papers are published in Springer's mathematics journals."
"So you're the ones in control behind the scenes." Shen Qi thought to himself, "You're the big bosses, aren't you? I have to pay you for subscriptions to my own papers. Of course, this subscription fee is usually paid by the school."
"No, we are supporters, or rather, operators." Wieser smiled and shook his head, saying, "Our core mission is to serve frontline scientists, which is the foundation that has kept Springer at the forefront of the industry for over 170 years. Shen, we are very willing to cooperate deeply with a rapidly rising mathematical star like you."
"Shen, you can absolutely expand your academic influence. Publishing journal articles is only part of your job. You can also publish books and academic monographs. From editing and proofreading to printing and publishing, and then to global brand awareness dissemination and sales operations, Springer will provide you with the most professional services throughout the entire process. For over 170 years, this is what we've been doing, and we've done it the best."
"Mr. Weiser, you are an excellent salesman." Shen Qi understood. No wonder Wieser didn't become a math professor. How much money could a math professor make? It couldn't compare to the profits from global academic copyright management.
"Society is developing, and consumer attitudes are changing. In addition to traditional offline publishing operations, Springer will also provide you with the best online services. Furthermore, we have many high-quality partners worldwide. If you would like, we can organize exclusive lectures for you, such as a lecture tour at world-renowned universities, which is also an important channel for you to expand your personal visibility and influence." Wieser extended his hand in a handshake gesture. "Looking forward to cooperating with you and staying in touch."
This is a potential partner. Even the best universities are still academic institutions; commercial operations with an academic focus require a global professional team. Shen Qi shook hands with Wieser: "Okay, I'll contact you if needed."