Peking University

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Peking University (北大)
Alias(es)	Yenching University 99
Affiliation	Yuanpei College; School of Mathematical Sciences; School of Physics; School of Chemistry; School of Information Science and Technology 99 100 105 139
Occupation/Role	Comprehensive university and research institution; Li Dong's undergraduate institution and primary academic base 95 99
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 92

Background / History

Peking University dispatched regional admissions teachers Li and Zhang to Jiangcheng after Li Dong's Gaokao score was placed under high-score protection as a provincial top-fifty science-track result. The recruiters identified him as the provincial science-track top scorer and praised both his ability and humility. 92

Its admissions office offered Li Dong freedom to select any major—including Yuanpei College, Guanghua School of Management, and the School of Mathematical Sciences' Top Talent Program—along with a full scholarship covering four years of tuition and living expenses. 93 Li Dong ultimately chose Yuanpei College over Tsinghua University and departed for Peking University after completing his Zhejiang University work. 95

Upon enrollment, Li Dong registered at the Qiu Deba Gymnasium and entered a four-person Yuanpei dormitory. His arrival established Peking University as the main setting for his academic research, collaborations, lectures, institutional negotiations, and later research-group development. 99

Academic Structure

Yuanpei College

Yuanpei College does not require students to declare a major on entry. Beyond public political courses and Yuanpei core general-education requirements, students may use their remaining credits on courses from any school or department. 99

• Dedicated high-difficulty foundational courses in mathematics and physics are taught by leading academicians and Changjiang Scholars. 99
• Its student body includes provincial Gaokao champions, runners-up, and Olympiad medalists. 99
• Li Dong initially planned to specialize in physics, while privately prioritizing computer science to improve his Riemann Zeta Function calculations. 99 101

Research Culture

Professor Liu Ruochuan characterizes the university's expected standard as pursuing major, long-standing conjectures rather than merely maximizing GPAs or accumulating low-value publications. 105

Arthur Penrose observes that Peking University's intensive specialized training and strict assessment system give undergraduates notably strong foundations, though he considers their interdisciplinary breadth comparatively limited. 189

• Undergraduate research is actively supported; Li Dong's counselor approved leave for independent biology experiments, stating that university should not keep capable researchers “nailed to a desk.” 105
• The university's high-performance computing infrastructure includes National Key Laboratory GPU-cluster nodes available for Li Dong's work. 117
• External research-group members can receive temporary campus cards, library privileges, and campus VPN access through formal resource-sharing approval. 206

Institutional Support for Li Dong

Support / Initiative	Details
Algorithm research backing	Gao Wen and Liu Ruochuan recognized Li Dong's dimension-reduction algorithm as a major computational breakthrough and sought to connect it with Peking University's mathematical and computing resources. 115
Confidential research coordination	The university restricted direct access to Li Dong when his Algorithm 2.1 became connected to Huaxuan Technology's lithography-control system and Guowei Equipment's semiconductor strategy. 189
Special Talent Training Program	The university awarded Li Dong two million yuan, priority approval for research projects below ten million yuan, an honorary doctorate at undergraduate graduation, and Distinguished Alumnus recognition. 253
Mentorship system	The proposed program uses an academic committee and rotating advisors from relevant departments; Peking University assigned Li Dong fifteen mentors. 253 294
Joint training with Tsinghua	Li Dong retained Peking University enrollment while gaining access to both universities' resources; Tsinghua matched Peking University's fifteen mentors with fifteen of its own. 294
Research institute site	Principal Gong Qi allocated 300 mu from the Changping Campus second-phase plan for Li Dong's research institute. 536

Facilities

Changping Campus

Peking University's Changping Campus is its base for future-oriented engineering and interdisciplinary fields. Covering more than 1,200 mu, it houses the Schools of Computer Science, Integrated Circuits, Electronics, and Intelligence, with a predominantly master's and doctoral student population. 536

The university reworked planned engineering-laboratory and graduate-dormitory space to free 300 mu for Li Dong's institute after learning the project had received higher-level approval. 536

Major Academic Venues

• Sunshine Hall, Yingjie Exchange Center — Peking University's primary venue for its highest-level academic events; it hosted the symposium on Li Dong's proof of the Montgomery Pair Correlation Conjecture. 191
• Chemistry North Building — An older research-focused building associated with achievements including single-crystal graphene and chiral carbon nanotubes; it houses the Wu Kai Research Group's single-atom characterization laboratory. 266
• Yanda International Mathematics Research Center — Hosted meetings involving Li Dong, Andrew Wiles, Arthur Penrose, Shing-Tung Yau, Liu Ruochuan, and other mathematicians. 250

Relationships

• Li Dong — Recruited as a provincial science-track top scorer; enrolled in Yuanpei College and remained at Peking University as his research career rapidly advanced. 92 95 99 253
• Liu Ruochuan — Dean of the School of Mathematical Sciences; mentors Li Dong, protects his intellectual-property position, and coordinates mathematical projects and institutional support. 115 149 177
• Gong Qi — University principal who oversees high-level support for Li Dong, including the Special Talent Training Program and Changping Campus land allocation. 253 536
• Gao Wen — Huaxia Academy of Engineering academician and Peking University computer-architecture authority; teaches low-level algorithms and recognizes the significance of Li Dong's computational work. 100 115
• Tian Gang — Mathematics professor who advocates for Li Dong's development, organizes major academic events, and considers expanding his mentorship network. 191 236
• Arthur Penrose — Princeton mathematician whose long-term visit and public p-adic analytic-number-theory lectures strengthen Peking University's mathematical environment. 161 222 228
• Tsinghua University — Peking University's principal institutional rival and joint-training partner for Li Dong. 99 294

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recruitment and Enrollment

Peking University directly competed with Tsinghua University for Li Dong during the Gaokao admissions period, offering a scholarship and unrestricted major selection. Li Dong chose Yuanpei College, making the university his central academic home. 92 93 95

Mathematical Breakthroughs

Li Dong's Riemann Zeta Function algorithm drew the attention of Gao Wen and Liu Ruochuan after its publication in Mathematics of Computation. The university became the base from which he developed the algorithm, defended its ownership, and connected it to national semiconductor applications. 115 149 177

International Academic Exchange

Peking University processed Arthur Penrose's request for a long-term academic visit after Li Dong drew his interest. Penrose later remained on campus, attended undergraduate lectures, and prepared public lectures on analytic number theory over p-adic numbers. 161 189 222

Andrew Wiles also arrived unannounced to meet Li Dong, prompting Principal Gong to arrange a high-level reception. 248

Expansion Through Joint Training

Peking University retained Li Dong's formal enrollment while sharing his training with Tsinghua University. The arrangement opened both institutions' resources to him and formalized an unusually large multi-advisor system. 294

Research Institute Construction

Li Dong selected Peking University as the preferred location for a comprehensive research institute because of its infrastructure, security, and recruitment advantages. Gong Qi secured a 300-mu Changping Campus site despite the disruption to existing development plans. 536

Security and Restricted Research

• Li Dong's work on Dimensionality-Reduction Algorithm 2.1 became subject to heightened procedural controls because of its connection to lithography and semiconductor strategy. 189
• A counterespionage sweep later led to the apprehension of an associate professor from the School of Integrated Circuits and a professor from the School of Chemistry, amid a broader quiet purge affecting Peking University and other elite institutions. 576