From top student in college to scientific research powerhouse

Chapter 9 Donggang University's Announcement

The preliminary experimental data calculation and analysis work has resumed, and everyone in the applied electromagnetics laboratory is busy.

Zhang Minghao also got busy.

His workplace was not a doctoral student's workspace, but rather an office where he and Professor Meng Guoqing would be undisturbed.

They are specifically responsible for using the 'third-order Kawahara-like equation' to calculate.

Chen Shuai's calculation team sent over the equations and the system of equations. After analyzing them using a new method, they uploaded the results to specialized software.

The Computing and Data Laboratory of the School of Information Science at Jiangzhou University will use a large computer to perform overlay calculations, and the final calculation results will then be sent to Chen Shuai's group.

Chen Shuai's group performs other calculations based on the results and then sends over new 'third-order Kawahara-like equations'.

There were other types of complex partial differential equations along the way, and the project team specially invited Professor Meng Guoqing in the hope of making the calculations more accurate.

Zhang Minghao approached working with Meng Guoqing with a learning attitude.

Meng Guoqing is a scholar in the field of partial differential equations. While he may not be the most outstanding in the world, his research is still very profound.

For some complex partial differential equations in applications, Meng Guoqing can easily find very close numerical values ​​to substitute and perform calculations.

Some can even be directly analyzed and solved, and one particular equation even yielded an exact solution.

Meng Guoqing was generous with his guidance to Zhang Minghao, constantly explaining things during the analysis and calculation process.

Zhang Minghao benefited greatly, and he also made a contribution.

He was far more proficient than Meng Guoqing in the analysis and solution of 'third-order Kawahara-like equations', and he was the one who explained the 'approximate substitution transformation' steps to Meng Guoqing.

The analysis I did for Meng Guoqing before only involved two transformation rules.

Now, two more patterns have been added, which has surprised Meng Guoqing repeatedly, and he has even shown a kind of fanaticism for the patterns he has discovered.

"We must publish the paper as soon as possible!"

"Once you publish your paper, I'll start my research to prove it. It's very significant and meaningful, and there might be other discoveries..."

Three days passed.

Zhang Minghao spends most of his time in the office, working more than ten hours a day.

At the beginning of the work, he felt a sense of novelty and accomplishment in solving complex equations, but later doing the same equation analysis became repetitive work.

Later, we all became numb...

The only advantage was that with Meng Guoqing's occasional guidance, he felt that his understanding of partial differential equations had deepened considerably.

The system seemed to agree with his feeling—

[Thinking assessment score +1.]

[Thinking level: 78.]

The numbers have been improved!

When Zhang Minghao discovered that his personal attribute assessment value had increased, he felt all his fatigue disappear. This was the first time since he transmigrated that his personal attributes had improved.

Of course, a decrease in wealth is not included.

After completing the analysis of the last equation, he stretched lazily and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

"It's finished!" Zhang Minghao handed the manuscript to Meng Guoqing.

Meng Guoqing calmly entered the data, pressed enter to send, and then felt relieved. He got up and walked to Zhang Minghao's side, suddenly leaning in and whispering, "Zhang Minghao, are you really not going to study mathematics?"

“I still think you are more suited to studying mathematics. It would be better for you to pursue your doctorate with me than with Xue Kun. It’s very difficult to discover anything in physics experiments these days.”

"The applied electromagnetics lab has only one major project, but metamaterials are too advanced, and it's very difficult to achieve results in research on them. Researching mathematics is different; with your talent, partial differential equations are easy to produce results on..."

"Professor Meng, thank you."

Zhang Minghao expressed his sincere gratitude, then said with a wry smile, "I've been pursuing my doctorate under Professor Xue's guidance, and I came to Jiangzhou University for Professor Xue's sake as well."

"correct."

Meng Guoqing asked in surprise, "Speaking of which, I don't quite understand. You started your doctoral studies last year, so why are you doing it again this year...?"

"I was dismissed."

"??"

Zhang Minghao gave a brief explanation.

After listening, Meng Guoqing was speechless for a long time, and finally exclaimed in the same way as Zhu Bingkun, "Donggang University is indeed full of talented people!"

"A student like you can be expelled just like that..."

……

Work is done, I can leave the office and take a break now.

Zhang Minghao walked towards the doctoral student's workspace and bumped into Liao Shuyan at the door. The latter glared at him angrily and hurriedly went upstairs.

He entered the room and found Chen Lanjun still there. Pointing to the door, he asked, "What happened to him?"

Chen Lanjun was still fiddling with the Rubik's Cube in her hand, studying it as she said, "The experimental data analysis and predictions are not optimistic."

She looked up as she spoke, “I just came downstairs. Professor Chen said the data is very flat and the subsequent calculations will not fluctuate much.”

"Almost done?"

"Right away."

Zhang Minghao nodded as he listened. He and Meng Guoqing had finished their calculations, and the work was now being handed over to Chen Shuai's calculation team for final touches.

For experiments, the results can be predicted based solely on the returned data.

The project team wants specific data or data with large deviations, which means that the preliminary experiments have made discoveries. 'Not optimistic' means data within the normal fluctuation range, which means that no discoveries have been made.

In other words, the preliminary experiment failed.

Zhang Minghao was not surprised. He already knew that the preliminary experiment was wrong, but he underestimated the impact of the failure of the preliminary experiment. Even Chen Lanjun, who seemed optimistic, was obviously affected.

Liao Shuyan and Xu Chao returned to the workroom together. After entering, they sat there in a daze, their occasional glances filled with complex emotions.

The failure of the preliminary experiment means that all the manpower, funding and time invested by the project team in the past six months have gone to waste.

For both Liao Shuyan and Xu Chao, they plan to write their doctoral dissertations based on the findings of their preliminary experiments. What's the point of writing if the experiments fail?
Those findings were all wrong, and the subsequent research was also wrong.

The project research made no progress, nor did their individual research.

Perhaps all of this should not be attributed to Zhang Minghao. In scientific research, wrong is wrong and right is right, and wrong conclusions will be overturned sooner or later.

But it was Zhang Minghao's arrival that allowed the project team to discover the error in advance.

Liao Shuyan and Xu Chao inquired and found out that Zhang Minghao had specifically researched a simplification method for 'quasi-third-order Kawahara equations', which allows the equations to be transformed and solved using a computer for coverage.

This is precisely why errors in experimental calculations and analyses are discovered.

"He had just arrived, hadn't even enrolled in school or joined the project team, yet he judged that the experiment was wrong, and even did some mathematical research on it..."

"It's like they came specifically to cause trouble!"

In the office on the second floor, Chen Shuai, Zhu Bingkun, and Xue Kun were also sighing together.

The three of them stared at each other, speechless.

No one wants the preliminary experiment to be wrong, but we have to accept it, even if we don't want to. The calculation results have already said everything, and the conclusion data is very consistent with the 'failed experiment'.

What a bolt from the blue!

The three of them didn't even want to mention the preliminary experiments.

Chen Shuai changed the subject to Zhang Minghao, "Xue Kun, you've really taught a good student, he's so outstanding."

"They just arrived and ruined our reputation."

Zhu Bingkun chuckled, then sighed, "We can't blame others. It's still not too late to realize it was a mistake, which is a good thing."

"If it takes another six months, then the sky will truly fall."

The other two nodded in agreement. Another six months had passed, which meant another six months had been wasted, and they might even publish their findings.

If other teams point out that the results are wrong, the project team will be even more embarrassed, and may even lose face in front of the whole world.

Metamaterials research is an emerging field that has attracted much international attention.

The findings from the preliminary experiments are so significant that they might even be published in journals like Nature and Science. If, in that case, a top journal publishes incorrect information, it will certainly be publicized everywhere.

At that point, the project might not even be saved.

From this perspective, Zhang Minghao didn't ruin the event or damage their reputation; rather, he helped them save face and preserve the project.

……

The preliminary experimental analysis proved to be wrong, and the entire laboratory was filled with dejection.

This has little to do with Zhang Minghao.

He didn't participate in the preliminary experiments, so he didn't have any deep feelings about it. On the contrary, he completed a mathematical study, which was something to celebrate.

Therefore, he didn't fit in with the atmosphere in the lab. After talking to Xue Kun about the enrollment, he left without hesitation to attend to his own business.

The first important thing—

move place!

My classmate had already mailed my luggage from the dorm, but because I've been too busy these past two days, it's still piled up at the hostel.

Zhang Minghao checked out of the hotel and moved his luggage to the shared apartment.

Li Li was also there.

She was very helpful and assisted with moving things and even cleaned the room.

Zhang Minghao made a bed, took out his loose belongings and put them away. When he sat down to rest, he opened his phone and started looking for second-hand furniture.

He needs to buy a second-hand table. He definitely needs a table in his room, otherwise it will be too awkward to work, and he won't even have a place to put his computer.

"I have a table in my room, you can move it over and use it temporarily."

"you do not need?"

“It takes up too much space,” Li Li shook her head and said. “My bedroom balcony is high up, and there’s a folding table on it, which is perfect for putting the computer.”

Zhang Minghao thought for a moment and asked, "How much? I'll pay for it."

"It's yours!" Li Li said with a smile. "Treat me to dinner sometime."

"This is more expensive than buying a used one!"

"Haha~~"

After exchanging a few jokes, Yu Minxia hurriedly entered the room.

She wasn't surprised to see Zhang Minghao, but quickly asked, "Are you a master's student from Donggang University?"

"Correct."

"You did your PhD at Donggang University, right? But you didn't finish..."

Zhang Minghao was taken aback. "How did you know?"

Yu Minxia took a deep breath and said seriously, "Donggang University has issued an announcement, and it's about you. You've falsified experimental data and will be expelled!"

Zhang Minghao pursed his lips and asked in confusion, "Is the announcement only released today? I didn't pay attention; I thought it had been released a while ago."

Yu Minxia was also stunned.

She rushed back because she was worried after hearing the news.

That was a disciplinary action of being expelled from a doctoral program, and it was public information released online with the name on the screen.

This shouldn't be the normal reaction, right?
(End of this chapter)