Chapter 27

At that moment, mathematicians around the world were listening intently, including the six leading experts who had just begun their independent review.

Of course, quite a few were looking for mistakes, their eyes wide and bloodshot.

As the saying went, those in the same trade were sworn enemies. James Maynard, a leading figure in analytic number theory among the new generation of British mathematicians, was one such person.

As one of the leading candidates for the Fields Medal, he had spent years studying Goldbach's Conjecture and had made considerable progress.

He had originally planned to use it to strengthen his chances for the next Fields Medal.

But when he heard that a complete unknown had solved Goldbach's Conjecture and entered the independent review stage, he was so furious that he burned his manuscript.

Just before dinner, he had even posted on Twitter, declaring that the fifty-odd pages Jiang Ye had written were all wastepaper and that he could not possibly have solved Goldbach's Conjecture.

Yet the longer he listened, the more visibly his pupils contracted, and his lips trembled beyond his control.

The young Dragon Country scholar's logic was rigorous to an outrageous degree. Not only had Maynard failed to find a single problem, he could not help applauding.

Damn it!

At the lectern, Jiang Ye was so absorbed in his meticulous explanation that he was completely unaware of time passing.

It felt as though the first part had ended in the blink of an eye, and the second part had begun.

Compared with the first part, the second was easier for Jiang Ye.

Once a tool had been created, fulfilling its purpose was as natural as water flowing into a channel.

And that was precisely what he had to do next.

"Let N denote a sufficiently large even number, and let Px(1,1) be the number of primes p satisfying N=p1+p2..."

The chalk kept tapping against the blackboard, its sound echoing through the classroom with a soothing rhythm that was a pleasure to hear.

Likewise, as this stage began, the mathematicians gathered around the world, listening intently, all fell silent.

The same atmosphere was building everywhere, in each and every one of them.

As the Group Construction Method swept through every obstacle and struck at the heart of Goldbach's Conjecture, everyone listening held their breath, afraid of missing a single detail.

Staring unblinkingly at the screen above the stage, Maynard's pupils contracted slightly, and he murmured under his breath.

"Bombieri's Theorem! So that's how it is. He really did it. Incredible."

With that final stroke that brought the dragon to life, everything that had been set up fell into place, and the progression from one step to the next became clear.

It was as though the fog before his eyes had been swept away, revealing a whole new vista.

As an expert in the field of prime numbers, he felt it most deeply and saw it most directly.

Though this was not the moment he had been hoping for!

At the École Normale Supérieure of Paris, a trace of approval flashed in Helfgott's eyes. Jiang Ye's explanation had provided satisfactory answers to every question on his mind.

At the International Mathematical Union, the six-person review panel had just begun examining the paper.

Now, they exchanged glances, then closed the documents in their hands. "I don't have any more questions. What about you?"

"Neither do I. His proof is truly astounding!"

"Yes. The rigorous logic and clearly structured argument make everything fall into place."

At the Dragon Country Mathematics Institute, two elderly men were streaming with tears, murmuring over and over, "When young scholars flourish, scholarship is blessed. When scholarship flourishes, the nation flourishes... Good, good!"

Elsewhere.

Jiang Ye had a strange illusion, as though many people were watching him.

It felt as though many people were listening intently to his explanation.

Was this a misplaced sensation from across space and time!?

He smiled and thought no more of it.

Turning to face the blackboard once more, he came to the final step.

[...From equation (30) and lemmas 8, 9, and 10, theorem 1 can be proven.]

[Proof complete.]

He put down the final period.

Jiang Ye faced the camera and smiled. "That concludes my proof of Goldbach's Conjecture. I believe I have proven this proposition."

"I am Jiang Ye, a Dragon Country citizen and an insignificant member of humanity. Thank you!"

As his words fell, the barrage of comments in the international livestream exploded.

Chapter 27: A National Treasure Crowned, God Jiang Unrivaled, History Witnessed (On My Knees Begging for All Kinds of Support)

For mathematicians around the world.

Goldbach's Conjecture, spanning two and a half centuries, had already kept them waiting far too long.

Starting with that letter sent from Moscow to Berlin in 1742, it had endured through the Austro-Prussian War and two and a half centuries of wind and rain.

After the efforts of countless generations of scholars, each adding bricks and tiles to the edifice, a genius scholar had finally completed the last leg.

Counting the treasures gained along the way, human civilization had already reaped so much.

The moment Jiang Ye's words fell.

Countless rounds of applause rang out across the globe.

And continued for a very, very long time...

In the international livestream, however, viewers were amused by Jiang Ye's final words.

"An insignificant member of humanity! Holy shit, does that mean I don't even count as human? Full marks for that flex."

"When a new intelligent civilization sees this, it'll go, 'Holy shit, even an insignificant member of human civilization is this amazing?'"

"I'm telling you, this is humility, a fine quality unique to us Huaxia people!"

"Where are the big shots in academia? Why aren't they saying anything? Jiang Ye has finished his explanation, so is it correct or not?"

"It should be quick this time. Don't rush."

The viewers around the world were not kept waiting long.