Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 8: Forget about undergraduate studies, go straight to graduate school!

The dormitory is small, with four bunk beds against the wall taking up half the space. Two tables are placed in the central aisle, leaving only enough space to walk on either side. At the same time, you can reach the tables just by sitting on the bed, so there's no need for a chair.

During four years of university, some people study hunched over their desks, while others play cards and stick figurines around the table. By graduation, some will have gone to university, while others will lament that they were "gone to university."

At this moment, Qin Liang, who had not yet officially started university, sat at the table, writing formulas with a swift motion.

LG(x,s)=δ(xs)LG(x,s)=δ(xs).

"In 1828, the British mathematician George Green invented this important function formula, in which L is the differential operator, and the δ function is also called the Dirac function. This Green's function represents the distribution of the field generated by a point source at point S at point X. This formula has multiple meanings. In quantum mechanics, it is used to describe the propagation behavior of particles. In electromagnetism, it is used to solve the Poisson equation and describe the relationship between the electrostatic field and the distribution of electric charge..."

Professor Liu's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Since deciding to use Green's function to study aeroelasticity problems, Professor Liu has faced criticism from various quarters.

American aerodynamics expert Hoss published a paper arguing that the fundamental equation for the Green's function in aerodynamic calculations does not have a unique solution. In other words, when you use it to calculate, you may get one result, but there may be a second result in places you are not aware of.

This is awkward.

If there is no unique solution, it means that the research problem is incomplete, and the calculated aerodynamic forces of the aircraft have other possibilities! This makes the solution unusable!

"In aeroelasticity calculations, Green's function can be used. Its biggest advantage is that it requires little computation..." As he said this, Qin Liang took out the slide rule from his pocket. He had spent a long time calculating yesterday, and before leaving, he put it directly into his pocket.

In the late 1970s, there wasn't even a scientific calculator in China. We could only use simple things like slide rules to calculate things. Green's function was very useful!

"So, how do you think we should specifically derive it?" Professor Liu continued to ask.

Beside him, the two senior students who brought Professor Liu over both widened their eyes. Their teacher, whom they considered omnipotent, was actually asking Qin Liang for advice!
"Professor Liu, you must already be researching this, right? It's just that the research direction hasn't been decided yet. I think we could choose one research direction, for example, we could apply it to solving potential flow problems through objects using the singularity method. Let S represent the object's surface and R′ represent the flow field outside the object. Then, according to Green's theorem, when point p is inside R′, its potential function can be expressed as..."

These were originally Professor Liu's papers. Qin Liang had read them when he was in school. Now, seeing that Professor Liu was still in the process of finding proof, Qin Liang felt that he still needed to lend a hand. If Professor Liu could finish writing the paper as soon as possible, it would alleviate the pressure from public opinion!
As Qin Liang spoke, he wrote down the formulas. Soon, the formulas were written in dense text, and Zhu Yongguang and Zhao Ergang couldn't understand them at all. However... the two of them looked at Qin Liang with admiration. Amazing, really amazing!
“I understand!” Professor Liu said, picking up the pen. “In that case… well, this paper can be written as soon as possible. It will be called ‘On the Uniqueness of Solutions to the Integral Equation of the Velocity Potential of a Surface Established Using Green’s Theorem.’ I’ll go back and write this paper now. Qin Liang, your name will be added to the paper later.”

"No, no..." Qin Liang quickly waved his hand. Even without his intervention, Professor Liu would have finished the paper by the end of the year! How could he plagiarize Professor Liu's research results?
"That's necessary, without you..."

"Professor Liu, I'm only a freshman. If you put my name on it, a lot of people will question it, and then... I'll be in trouble."

Professor Liu then realized that Qin Liang was too young. No matter how talented he was, it wasn't advisable to expose his abilities directly, otherwise it would be a case of "praising him to death"! He had thought he was helping Qin Liang, but in reality, he was harming him...

"Alright." Professor Liu nodded. "By the way, with your extensive knowledge, it's a bit of a waste for you to only do undergraduate studies. Why don't you go straight to graduate school?"

Zhu Yongguang and Zhao Ergang were stunned. What?
Going straight to graduate school? From high school students, skipping the university stage and going directly to graduate school?
Now, as long as you go to university, you can enter government agencies and public institutions and become a government cadre. Even if you go to a factory, you still have cadre status, at least as a staff member. If you go to graduate school, then...

Amidst their envious gazes, Qin Liang simply shook his head.

"No, no, I only took the college entrance examination, not the postgraduate entrance examination."

In 77, the college entrance examination system was restored, and in 78, the postgraduate entrance examination system was also restored. In that special era, many students from prestigious universities were assigned to remote areas. For them, the only way to change their fate was to take the postgraduate entrance examination!
If you haven't taken the postgraduate entrance exam, then you can't go to postgraduate school; after all, the recommendation system is a thing of the past.

Professor Liu sighed: "If only you had been a year earlier! Here's what we'll do: your name will be added directly to the undergraduate class, but you don't need to attend classes. Just work on projects with me! It would be a waste to put someone as talented as you in an undergraduate class!"

"Professor Liu, I..."

"Come on, I'll take you to see Director Luo now, I'll tell you about my project, and I'll also arrange your future study tasks."

"Professor Liu, I... am hungry."

I didn't eat breakfast and went through all this trouble, and it's already noon! My stomach has been growling for a while now.

"Come on, I'll take you to the cafeteria to eat something. After we eat, we'll go find Director Luo."

In the afternoon, at 1:30, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Department 5 office building.

When Qin Liang followed Professor Liu to the door of the department head's office, he heard a familiar voice coming from inside.

"Director Luo, we've discovered another promising talent. He's very young, only a junior high school graduate..."

Director Luo immediately stood up: "What? You only graduated from junior high school? How did you take the college entrance exam after graduating from junior high school?"

"This child scored 100 in five out of six subjects in his junior high school graduation exam this year, and 99 in the remaining subject. So, he applied to take the college entrance exam under special circumstances, and his school agreed. When the results came out, he was only one or two points away from the junior programs of prestigious universities like Capital University and Tsinghua University."

The middle school entrance exam was at the end of June, and the college entrance exam was at the beginning of July, only about ten days apart. They took the college entrance exam almost immediately after the middle school results came out, and they were still so amazing! With such a tight schedule, I don't know how they managed to handle the application process.

"That's amazing? Why didn't those prestigious universities admit him?"

"Weak color."

(End of this chapter)