Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 223 Lin Ran's Relationship with China
"That's very well said. Slow is fast, and fast is slow. This fully embodies the principles of following the rhythm of nature and non-action in ancient Chinese philosophy," Peng Qian said.

Lin Ran, speaking through the camera, added: "Of course, this also has a certain dialectical nature."

A fast pace of efficiency may delay your true progress by neglecting deeper issues.

This is also mentioned in Daniel's famous book, *Thinking, Fast and Slow*.

Lin Ran was actually quite surprised.

This is clearly dialectics, so how did you connect it with ancient Chinese philosophy?

Instead of directly refuting him, he offered a supplementary explanation.

Peng Qian clearly realized the problem, but she wasn't flustered at all. This wasn't a live broadcast, and there would be editing in the end: "Dr. Lin is right."

So Dr. Lin, judging from your reaction, do you usually enjoy reading?

Lin Ran nodded and said, "Of course, I really enjoy reading books on philosophy, especially the works of the modern Frankfurt School. I've read all of Professor Max Horkheimer's books."

And it was read repeatedly.

It often brings me new perspectives.

Lin Ran felt very awkward.

The awkward part is that he actually calls himself not a professor, but Dr. Lin.

He thought to himself that he should return to China as soon as possible to serve as a specially appointed professor.

Otherwise, it's not good to always be a PhD.

Peng Qian had absolutely no idea who Max Horkheimer was.

She simply complimented him, "Dr. Lin is indeed well-read and has his own insights into many things."

I heard before the interview even started that you would be returning to China to teach, is that right?

Lin Ran nodded and said, "Yes, I expect to return to China in September. I've been communicating with universities in China recently."

My paper should be published in August, and I'm also currently writing a paper related to artificial intelligence, since I'm a PhD student in artificial intelligence.

I have also communicated with Stony Brook University. If I can pass the defense of my dissertation on artificial intelligence, I will be able to obtain a PhD in both mathematics and artificial intelligence.

But that's not important.

In short, I will return to China to teach full-time in September. I am currently eager to return to my motherland and make a contribution to the development of mathematics in China.

Of course, my contributions are not limited to the development of mathematics; I believe my contributions to my motherland are multifaceted.

As Lin Ran said this, she recalled the online fundraising dinner she had attended not long ago.

As Li Xiaoman had predicted, the fundraising dinner hosted by that Democratic congressman named Harris was indeed held online.

The guests who came were also very prominent.

Not only Bezos, but Zuckerberg was also present.

It's no exaggeration to describe it as a gathering of big names.

Li Xiaoman and he were completely ignored. Online, it was first that woman with the mesmerizing laugh who spoke, and then all sorts of big shots came up to speak.

Lin Ran felt like he was being corrupted.

But Li Xiaoman said that this woman was very resourceful and was said to be a strong candidate for vice president.

Upon hearing this, Lin Ran had only one thought: America is doomed. How could someone like that become vice president?

He's nowhere near as good as Lyndon Johnson.

Although Lin Ran doesn't think Lyndon Johnson is that great either.

But at least Lyndon is normal; the woman in this video can't even be normal.

Another point is about meeting Bezos.

Didn't get to see it.

After all, this isn't like an offline fundraising dinner where you can grab a big shot and force a one-on-one meeting.

There's absolutely no chance online.

Lin Ran only saw Bezos on the camera.

But he didn't feel regret. On the contrary, Lin Ran knew that Bezos should feel regret, and it was Bezos who should feel remorse.

After listening, Peng Qian asked, "Dr. Lin, don't you need to do a few years of postdoctoral research abroad?"

Lin Ran smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I have that confidence. I don't think anyone in the field of mathematics can guide me."

Doing a postdoctoral fellowship is about figuring out which academic path to take.

But I don't need that; the path ahead is already crystal clear to me.

Of course it's clear.

The dove occupies the magpie's nest.

Lin Ran disliked the name "Langlands Program".

Just like how he came to like the title of professor after spending six years there in 1960.

So I want to go back to China and become a professor.

Similarly, he didn't like this timeline. The Langlands Program was called the Langlands Program, but what Langlands Program? It should be called the Randolph Program.

Then one must make an irrefutable contribution.

Therefore, Lin Ran said that the work he needed to do was extremely clear.

Peng Qian was surprised by the other party's confidence; few Chinese mathematicians were so arrogant in this regard.

Or rather, self-confidence.

Peng Qian had already deeply sensed Lin Ran's unusual nature.

It is extraordinary in every respect.

She has an exceptional understanding of how to talk about politics, even better than the academicians she interviewed.

But in some ways he's quite arrogant.

If Lin Ran were to remain silent after saying something like, "I don't think anyone can guide me in the field of mathematics," Bao would bring it up again and criticize him.

"So, have you decided where you want to go?" Peng Qian asked.

Lin Ran: No, I'm still undecided.

Because everyone is very sincere, it's a difficult decision.

Lin Ran's interview was edited out that very night, and Baihua Press posted it on Weibo with the title "A Young Scholar's Deep Patriotism," which was then widely reposted.

To be honest, it's a bit exaggerated to be given this name after only mentioning it once.

This is clearly a publicity mission.

However, this is Lin Ran, who has been the most sought-after figure in the mathematics community in the past six months.

His latest findings are being discussed in mathematics departments at top universities around the world.

He is the undisputed next Fields Medal winner.

So even though it was a very serious interview with a clear promotional purpose, it still generated a huge response on the Simplified Chinese internet.

Two of the top ten trending topics on Weibo are related to Lin Ran.

Lin Ran Returns to China

"Lin Ran Fields"

One is ranked third, and the other is ranked fifth.

"What Ran Shen said is excellent. His vision and his speech are simply unbeatable." "I just hope that the country can provide Ran Shen with a relaxed environment so that he can do his research properly, and not end up like Xu Chenyang, who returned to China and then left again."

We hope that the treatment they deserve will be given, and that academicians will not be denied the benefits they are entitled to simply because they are young.

"When they want to leave, all the patriotism we're promoting now will backfire, making things incredibly awkward."

"Welcome! As expected of the younger generation, they are much more patriotic than the international students of the past."

"I hope you can come to Shuangyashan. I think Ran Shen is from Guangdong Province, so he should naturally come to Shuangyashan."

Shuangyashan, get to work! You don't want the Fields you're offered?

"Shanghai Jiaotong University, Jiaotong University, give it your all!"

On Weibo, the interview with Lin Ran was mainly filled with encouragement.

He also urged his own universities to quickly introduce Lin Ran.

On Zhihu, the answers to related questions are much more rational.

"As a doctoral student majoring in mathematics, I welcome Lin Ran's return to China."

Although my work and that of Ran Shen do not overlap, I believe his return to China has a very symbolic significance.

The mathematician who solved the twin prime conjecture at the age of 23, even if he did nothing else, would be no less than Shing-Tung Yau and Sing-Shen Chern in the history of Chinese mathematics, at least ranking among the top three.

Moreover, judging from his performance and the confidence he exudes during interviews, his achievements go far beyond this.

So, there is a very high probability—at least 50 percent—that someone who is already in the top three can become the first person in the history of Chinese mathematics.

The top mathematician in China chose to return to the country at the young age of 23. For China, this is very likely to be the same figure Euler was to Russia and Gauss was to Germany. No matter what treatment is given to bring him back, it would not be an exaggeration.

Of course, that's an exaggeration.

I don't know if I can become a great mathematician like Gauss or Euler.

Even conservatively speaking, with his current level, he is at least as important as Kunihiko Kodaira is to Japan.

Because the outside world will focus on how he has solved several mathematical problems in just six months, published three papers in top journals, and secured a spot in the Fields Medal two years later.

In the past, we have been discussing when China will have its own Nobel laureate. Later, Mr. Tu and Mr. Mo answered this question.

Then we started discussing when China would produce its own Fields Medalists, even linking the lack of Fields Medalists to the overly rigid exam-oriented education system.

We had high hopes for the golden generation of mathematicians born in the 1980s at Yenching University's Department of Mathematics, and we had expectations for mathematicians born in the 1990s like Wei Shen and Chen Gao. But the sudden emergence of a completely different talent has answered our questions. Lin Ran, who majored in aerospace engineering as an undergraduate and artificial intelligence as a doctor, told us that this is the time.

This is an unexpected boon for Chinese mathematics.

It was a wonderful surprise.

Just like Euler's journey to Moscow, bringing modern mathematics to the city, it was a surprise that came out of nowhere.

The above are things we all know, but today I want to talk about things that the general public doesn't know.

This is a point that I rarely see mentioned on various self-media platforms.

Why do I think that the "Burning God" is at least as important to Japan as Kunihiko Kodaira is to Japan?

First of all, everyone needs to have a concept: mathematical research has become extremely difficult in 2020, to the point that the problem you are researching may only be understood by a dozen or so people in the world, or even just a few.

These are the same people who attend each academic conference.

Therefore, whenever a major problem is solved, an academic conference is needed to explain how you did it.

To take a recent example, Wiles proved Fermat's Last Theorem, and the academic conference lasted for three days.

He gave a three-day lecture at the Newton Mathematical Institute in Cambridge.

Later, during the peer review process, which took two months, they discovered the problem.

It took more than two years for the paper to pass the peer review process and be formally published in the Annals of Mathematics.

A counterexample is Shinichi Mochizuki, who claimed to have proven it, but he couldn't convince his peers at academic conferences.

His peers don't acknowledge that he actually solved ABC.

What does this mean? It means that even Wiles, it takes him a long time to convince his peers.

But not for Burning God. After each academic presentation, Burning God can analyze his own proofs very thoroughly.

Those who can teach can understand.

Although his lecturers were also top contemporary mathematicians, this alone is enough to illustrate the point.

This demonstrates that Ran Shen has a strong talent for lecturing, and is able to explain the most cutting-edge and top-level mathematical proofs clearly and thoroughly.

This means that when Ran Shen returns to China to teach students, he will not have to worry about being too sophisticated for the general public and will be able to train a group of students.

Therefore, I would say that for China, the "Burning God" is at least as important as Kunihiko Kodaira is to Japan.

His lecturing ability led to a situation where wherever he went, it would become the center of mathematics in China.

That's the power of a master.

So be thankful, thankful that such talented people chose to return to China instead of staying abroad.

My thoughts on this are the same as most people's: give people the treatment they deserve, and don't drive them away.

Geniuses deserve extra privileges.

They've already received the Fields Medal, so they should be given the academician status they deserve. Don't be stingy. Just because they're too young, they shouldn't be denied academician status. Does the academician status depend on age rather than ability?
However, I'm not too worried about that. As long as Lin Ran is willing to go to Peking University, Peking University will definitely give him an academician title.

Yenching University has the capability.

I just don't know if he will go to another university for other reasons.

After all, the selection of academicians is not entirely based on ability; your 'operational skills' also play a role.

If you go to Shanghai Jiao Tong University and choose to return to your alma mater, then it's hard to say.

After all, Shanghai Jiao Tong University is not as strong as Zhejiang University in the selection of academicians in mathematics.

Finally, I also have a question: why does the author consistently publish papers on new advances in mathematics?

His findings are definitely worthy of publication in a mathematics journal.

The Annals of Mathematics is probably the most prestigious journal. I can consider his first two papers, "New Advances in Mathematics," as those from a newcomer, but getting published in the top four journals is already quite impressive.

But why is this recent proof of the twin prime conjecture also published in *New Advances in Mathematics*?

This is the most upvoted answer on Zhihu.

Meanwhile, Lin Ran was negotiating the final terms with Shanghai Jiao Tong University:

"Dr. Lin, rest assured, if you are willing to return to your alma mater to teach, let me put it this way, we will definitely help you find a job for your partner. That's no problem at all. A master's degree is not required, just a bachelor's degree will suffice."

"If it's a vocational college degree, that's barely acceptable." Li Congming was very polite on the phone.

How could we not attach great importance to the first Fields Medalist in China?

Because there is no direct competition.

Regardless of whether Lin Ran returns to Shanghai Jiao Tong University or not, the professors in the mathematics department at Shanghai Jiao Tong University will not be able to be elected as academicians.

Taking the newly elected academicians of mathematics in 2021 as an example, they are from Yenching University, Fudan University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Zhejiang University.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University, please don't get involved.

To put it simply, the academicians of the Mathematics Department at Shanghai Jiao Tong University can be traced back to Wu Wenjun and Hu Hesheng. One was elected as an academician in 1957, and the other in 1991.

When Shanghai Jiao Tong University held its 90th anniversary celebration for the School of Mathematics in 2018, there was only one foreigner present: Chair Professor Anders Lindquist, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The process of electing academicians involves consuming school resources, much like how cultivating immortality and achieving the elixir of immortality requires draining the family's resources.

In the field of mathematics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University doesn't even have anyone qualified to achieve the Core Formation stage.

Lin Ran said, "No, that's not the case."

　I recommend a book called "From Small-Town Test-Taker to Top Student". Those interested can check it out.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)