Number Theory + Geometry = a Strong-Force Power Couple
"I just mentioned that the Langlands Program is a new program combining number theory and Algebraic Geometry. My number theory is terrible, but my partner is a number theory expert. Please allow me to act as the host for a bit." Yun Wei looked at the official host standing not far away.
The host smiled and stepped back a few paces, gesturing for the other party to make their own way.
Yun Wei: "Now, I would like to introduce my classmate from the Mathematics Department of Yenching University, Professor Gong Changwei, winner of the Breakthrough Prize and the Ramanujan Prize, and professor in the Mathematics Department of MIT, to the stage to give a speech!"
Applause rang out again, and a thin man wearing glasses went on stage. He hugged Yun Wei warmly, and then Yun Wei left the stage.
"Great masters, great masters, they're all great masters, now it's God Wei's turn!" Shen Qi exclaimed, thoroughly enjoying himself. Today's lecture was definitely worthwhile.
Gong Changwei was Yun Wei's classmate in the Mathematics Department of Yenching University. He was a year older than Yun Wei, a little thinner, Yun Wei hair wasn't as thick.
"I was born in the countryside. When I was a child, my family didn't have the spare money to cultivate any hobbies for me, so I played around with numbers to pass the time. As I did this, I won a few awards, and then I was lucky enough to come to study in the Mathematics Department of Yenching University." Gong Changwei's opening remarks, in a light recollection, revealed the aura of a mathematical prodigy. "I am particularly sensitive to numbers, maybe it's innate. When I was a child, I was the best in the whole village at mental arithmetic."
The audience laughed.
"But being quick and accurate in calculations is useless. Yun Wei can never out-calculate as me, yet his results are always better than mine. Yun Wei won a perfect score gold medal at the IMO, and I was one point behind him. That one point is the difference between us." Gong Changwei smiled and glanced at Yun Wei's seat below the stage.
Yun Wei and Gong Changwei exchanged a knowing smile. "Keep pretending, Gong Changwei."
Show off, God Wei, keep showing off. Shen Qi knew that Gong Changwei was also an IMO gold medalist, just not a perfect score.
The Chinese Mathematical Olympiad team of that year, including Yun Wei and Gong Changwei, was incredibly strong, leaving other countries utterly defeated. How strong were they? That year, the Chinese Mathematical Olympiad team only needed five members to win the IMO team championship, while the maximum number of members was six.
Last year when Shen Qi participated in the IMO, if the Chinese team had one less player, they could only have won the team bronze medal.
Looking at the international Mathematics Community, most of the winners of the F, W, A, and Ramanujan Prize in the past 30 years have participated in the IMO and achieved good results.
China started sending representatives to the IMO relatively late, only beginning to participate in 1985.
After a decade of ups and downs, starting in the mid-to-late 1990s, the Chinese Mathematical Olympiad team experienced a strong surge, becoming a perennial champion in the IMO competition.
Young mathematicians born in the 1980s, represented by Yun Wei and Gong Changwei, emerged during the period of strong growth of the Chinese Mathematical Olympiad team.
In the mid-to-late 1990s and around 2000, Yun Wei and Gong Changwei were teenagers. Now they are in their thirties, and it's only a matter of five to ten years before they can compete for the Fields Medal. After they turn 40, they automatically lose their eligibility to win the Fields Medal.
"Since all I can do is calculate numbers, fine, then I'll study number theory. I decided on my research direction quite early on, I think it was during my freshman or sophomore year, Professor Sun Erxiong suggested that I focus on number theory." Gong Changwei bowed to the audience and said, "I am grateful to the professors of the Mathematics Department of Yenching University for their guidance, I have benefited immensely throughout my life."
Holy crap, Fatty Sun is something else! He taught both God Yun and God Wei? Could Sun Erxiong be the hidden boss of the Mathematics Department at Peking University? Shen Qi looked around the auditorium but still couldn't find Sun Erxiong. But thinking about it, it makes sense. God Yun and God Wei were classmates in the same year when they were undergraduates in the Mathematics Department at Peking University. Since Sun Erxiong taught God Yun, he must have taught God Wei as well.
After graduating from Yenching University with a bachelor's degree, Yun Wei went on to pursue advanced studies in the Princeton Mathematics Department, which boasts the world's most prestigious mathematics program, and earned a doctorate in mathematics. Gong Changwei, who went to the United States with Yun Wei, chose Columbia University, where he also obtained a doctorate in mathematics. Yun Wei, Gong Changwei, and their generation of young mathematicians born in the 1980s are hailed as China's golden generation.
Gong Changwei started supervising doctoral students at the age of 30 and is now a professor in the Mathematics Department at MIT. Some of the doctoral students Gong Changwei supervises in the United States are older than him.
"After confirming my direction in number theory, I originally thought I would never cross paths with Yun Wei again in my life. My research focuses more on arithmetic, while Yun Wei's focus focuses more on geometry," Gong Changwei continued his speech.
"As Yun Wei just said, the Langlands Program is a groundbreaking research project in number theory and Algebraic Geometry, with epoch-making significance. Ten years after graduating from Yenching University, Yun Wei and I have reunited. We are partners, we have a great understanding, and we are eager to achieve breakthroughs. Chinese mathematicians have never been silent, and this era is our golden age. The cry of the Chinese people will resound throughout the world!" Gong Changwei said passionately.
Young mathematicians born in the 1980s are different from the older generation; they are more confident and eager to showcase their talents to the world.
"Well said!" Shen Qi shouted, leading the applause.
"Professor Yun and Professor Gong are fantastic!"
"The Fields Medal are yours!"
The audience erupted in applause as the speech came to an end.
Gong Changwei and Yun Wei have both won the Ramanujan Prize. In recent years, they have joined forces to launch an offensive against the Langlands Program. Not long ago, they co-authored a paper on some analysis of the Langlands Program, which won the Breakthrough Prize Math Prize, and they shared the $3 million prize money.
From the national math Olympic Math national team to the Mathematics Department of Yenching University, and then to studying the Langlands Program together, the young and promising Gong Changwei and Yun Wei are a golden duo. One of them is proficient in number theory, and the other is good at Algebraic Geometry.
"The God Yun and the God Wei are a perfect match. Algebraic Geometry and number theory—their combination is ideal for studying the Langlands Program," Shen Qi remarked.
Speaking of number theory and an innate sensitivity to numbers, Shen Qi suddenly thought of someone: Ou Ye, the Calculation Ji.
Ou Ye excels in arithmetic; her characteristics are somewhat similar to God Wei's.
Shen Qi remembered that when Professor Sun Erxiong led their Golden Autumn Camp, he commented on Ou Ye, saying that number theory was the most suitable direction for Ou Ye in the future.
It seems that Fatty Sun wasn't talking nonsense; Ou Ye does have a template, and her template is God Wei.
Although mathematics is mostly a man's numbers game, history has also seen outstanding female mathematicians, such as Julia Robinson, a number theory expert who is famous in the Mathematics Community for solving the 10th problem of Hilbert's 23 problems.
"Hey Ou Shen, what are you doing?" Shen Qi sent a WeChat message to Ou Ye.
It wasn't until an hour later that Ou Shen replied, "Just woke up."
Shen Qi: "What the hell? I just woke up? It's almost dinnertime and I'm only just waking up?"
Ou Ye: "Hmm."
Shen Qi: "Ou Ye, do you know that I listened to the speeches of God Yun and God Wei today? I think your role model is God Wei."
Ou Ye: "Oh."
Shen Qi: "Do you know who God Wei is?"
Ou Ye: "Gong Changwei."
Shen Qi: "Then what are you 'oh' about? Number theory is very promising, but also very difficult. God Yun doesn't dare to touch number theory, but you can give it a try."
Ou Ye: "We've already started trying."
Shen Qi: "Very good! We can discuss the specifics of the business after Yenching University starts in September."
Ou Ye: "Oh."
Shen Qi: "Stop saying 'oh oh oh,' I hate 'oh oh oh' the most!"
Ou Ye: "..."
Shen Qi: "..."