Detective Conan: The Literary Genius is Actually a Great Scientist

We had a rather late lunch, or more accurately, an afternoon lunch, since it was almost three o'clock.

Lin Ran strolled back to her study.

Leaning back in his chair, he stretched comfortably before finally having time to calm down and look at the "lucky draw prize" he had just won by taking advantage of Xiaolan's good fortune.

The distribution pattern of Mersenne primes and its proof.

Looking at the glittering title on the system panel, Lin Ran couldn't help but smile.

As a "math student traitor" who only attended half a semester in her previous life before running off to the literature department next door, Lin Ran was extremely familiar with Mersenne primes.

How familiar are we?

So familiar with it that when he saw those papers on Mersenne primes in the mathematics department library back then, he had only one thought in his mind: Can anyone really figure this out? Are all these mathematicians crazy?

But now, this "madman's toy" has become his possession.

其实简单点说，素数也叫质数，是只能被1和自身整除的正整数，比如2、3、5、7、11等等。

This concept was proposed by mathematicians thousands of years ago, and many mathematical masters, such as Fermat, Descartes, Goldbach, Euler, and Gauss, have studied it, but many mysteries remain unsolved to this day.

Mersenne numbers are numbers of the form M_p = 2^p - 1.

梅森素数则是指：如果一个梅森数本身也是素数，那幺它就是梅森素数。例如：M_2=3（2^2-1=3）， M_3=7（2^3-1=7）， M_5=31（2^5-1=31）等等。

Sounds simple, right?

But why don't you try finding all the Mersenne primes?

Up until he was sent to another world by the Great Cycle in his previous life, from the discovery of Mersenne primes to the computer age in later years, only 52 Mersenne primes had been discovered.

Moreover, these 52 numbers are distributed so randomly and without any discernible pattern that it's like they're playing hide-and-seek with the mathematicians.

The [Distribution Pattern of Mersenne Primes and Its Proof Method] extracted from the system actually has a more widely known name—the internationally recognized "Zhou Conjecture" proof method.

Just by hearing the name, you can tell that this is a conjecture made by a famous Chinese mathematician surnamed Zhou in 1992 in his article "The Distribution Pattern of Mersenne Primes".

This is a highly renowned conjecture in the fields of number theory and prime number research, and is hailed as "one of the most influential results in the study of Mersenne primes".

Zhou's conjecture is specifically stated as follows: when 2^(2^n) < p < 2^(2^(n+1)), the number of prime numbers Mp = 2^p - 1 is 2^(n+1) - 1.

Simply put, it predicts the distribution pattern of Mersenne primes on the number line.

According to the timeline of Detective Conan, only four years have passed since the conjecture was proposed, which is currently the hottest topic in the global mathematics community.

Countless mathematicians and math enthusiasts have tried to prove it, thereby solving the problem of Mersenne primes, which has puzzled people for thousands of years.

Some might say, what practical use do Mersenne primes have? They can't be eaten or drunk, so spending so much manpower and resources to study them is a waste of time and social resources.

But this is not the case for mathematicians.

Their task is simply to discover problems, then solve them, explore the truth, and pursue the beauty of knowledge itself and the perfection of logic.

Whether it's useful or not is a matter for engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs. Who knows, one day a seemingly useless mathematical theory might become the foundation of a disruptive technology?

Just like group theory, when it was first invented, no one could have imagined that it would later become the foundation of quantum mechanics; just like Riemannian geometry, which was initially considered a purely mathematical game, later became the mathematical framework of general relativity.

"Hmm...it seems we've discovered another prophet..."

Lin Ran casually picked up a newspaper from his desk. He wasn't home that morning, and Mingmei had put today's newspaper in his study for him.

I was reading a domestic newspaper, specifically the overseas edition of the People's Daily.

He is now quite famous in China. An 18-year-old high school student solved an international mathematical conjecture, and he is also a fellow countryman. The domestic media has already praised him to the skies.

A teenage genius emerges, solving an international mathematical conjecture at the age of eighteen!

"A Beacon of Mathematical Brilliance from China: High School Student Lin Ran Proves the Seetapan Conjecture!"

Who says young people can't be heroes? Look at Lin Ran!

He showed the world the wisdom of Chinese youth!

Compared to the complex narratives of Western media that subtly hint at deeper meanings, domestic reports are much more straightforward and passionate.

The text is filled with pride and patriotism, portraying Lin Ran as an inspirational young hero who brings glory to the country and shines even in a foreign land.

Some media outlets even conducted a special interview with Professor Zhou Haizhong from China.

As the proposer of the "Zhou Conjecture," and also a linguist and mathematician, Professor Zhou has considerable influence in academic circles and among the public.

Professor Zhou also highly praised Lin Ran's achievements:

"Lin is truly remarkable! Solving the Seetapan conjecture at just eighteen years old proves his extraordinary mathematical talent and solid logical foundation. Such a young man is the hope of China's mathematical community; the future belongs to him!"

As the interview drew to a close, perhaps to lighten the mood, the reporter asked, half-jokingly, "Professor Zhou, your 'Zhou's Conjecture' has also attracted much attention. Do you think it's possible that a young genius like Lin Ran might challenge this problem in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Professor Zhou laughed heartily and said in a scholarly, humorous tone:

"Of course you're welcome! The door to mathematics is open to all who are interested. If Lin Ran is interested, why not give it a try? Who knows, maybe one day she'll prove my 'conjecture' and make it go from 'prince' to 'emperor'? I'd be overjoyed if that happened."

Professor Zhou actually said these words with the intention of encouraging the younger generation and easing the atmosphere.

indeed.

If a conjecture is not proven and becomes a theorem, it remains a mere conjecture.

However, Professor Zhou himself understands that his "Zhou's Conjecture" and Lin Ran's solution to the Sitapan Conjecture are not the same thing. One is a profound prediction of the distribution law of Mersenne primes, while the other is a problem that is more inclined to the logical foundation. Although it is also difficult, the levels are different.

The difference in difficulty between the two is probably more than a hundredfold.

The Sitapan conjecture is like a small mountain; although steep, it is possible to reach the summit with effort. The Zhou conjecture, on the other hand, is like Mount Everest, requiring top-notch equipment, rich experience, tenacious perseverance, and a bit of luck.

Therefore, he did not expect an 18-year-old who had just begun to show his talent to be able to immediately take on a problem of this level.

That's neither realistic nor scientific.

This is just a senior's best wishes to a junior: Keep going, the future is bright, and maybe one day you will be able to do what we can't.

However, what was said without malice was taken seriously by the listener.

This passage was published verbatim in the newspaper, even accompanied by a photo of Professor Zhou smiling kindly.

Lin Ran looked at Professor Zhou's quote in the newspaper, "Take my conjecture into a theorem!", and then thought about the "Distribution Pattern of Mersenne Primes and Its Proof Method" that she had just drawn and was quietly lying in the system space. Her expression was as interesting as it could be.

"No way? Are there really this many prophets these days?"

First, Chikako Ikeda made a promise to "cut off her head and kick it like a football," and then she actually got her head chopped off; now Professor Zhou made a promise to "prove my conjecture," and then he actually drew the proof method.

By the way, this doesn't need werewolves. Werewolves, don't come. Go kill yourself.

"Professor Zhou, oh Professor Zhou..."

Lin Ran tossed the newspaper around, almost laughing, "The way you set this flag... it's practically written a perfect script for me."

A young genius who had just solved the Seetapan conjecture, received public praise from his seniors, and was "jokingly" invited to take on an even more difficult problem, was inspired and "diligently studied" it, eventually "living up to expectations" and producing a proof...

This script is absolutely perfect!

"Oh, Professor Zhou, this is something you 'requested' yourself, so I... can only accept it as a courtesy."

Lin Ran folded the newspaper and placed it aside, leaned back in her chair, interlaced her fingers on her abdomen, and rocked the chair happily.

"System, give me some points... oh no, I mean, claim them!"

"Ding~"

The item he drew this time, "The Distribution Pattern of Mersenne Primes and Its Proof Method," is different from other items. It belongs to the knowledge category and will be directly implanted into his brain, which he can access at any time.

"Hiss~"

Looking at the dense formulas in her mind, Lin Ran gasped. The high spirits she had been about to help her senior pass the conjecture on instantly turned into awe of mathematics.

Damn it, it's not a matter of understanding or not; there are parts he can't even understand!

"Is this the true value of Mersenne primes?"

Lin Ran sighed and rubbed her throbbing temples.

It's not even in the same league as his Sitapan conjecture—the Sitapan conjecture is like an elementary school math olympiad problem; although it requires thinking, at least you can understand what the question is asking.

This proof is like asking you to prove "why 1+1=2", which involves the most basic and core logical structure of mathematics.

At his current level, he is not yet able to fully grasp it.

Of course, he could copy it verbatim; the system had already instilled it into his mind, and he could write it down at any time, word for word.

But here's the problem: if you don't have the skill yourself, you'll be exposed when you talk to others, just like the famous "Jiang Ping incident" in my previous life. You can't just rely on copying.

Most importantly, the scientific level of the system cannot be improved by copying; it requires you to integrate and truly become a top student.

"So, I still have to learn it myself..."

Lin Ran sighed, looking at the overwhelming amount of mathematical knowledge in her mind, feeling that the task ahead was arduous and the road ahead was long.

"Prioritize dealing with the tasks at hand, and once those are finished, then focus all your energy on tackling the remaining challenges..."

Lin Ran rubbed her temples, temporarily setting aside the idea of ​​proving Zhou's guess.

His most important task now is "Snow Country".

Snow Country is currently in its final stages, nearing completion. Editor Endo has been urging us many times, and I even called him yesterday to ask about the progress, saying that readers are waiting, the publisher is waiting, and the printing press is waiting...

He's worked so hard for so long, he can't afford to make a mistake at the end.

Literature and science are like his two legs; they must go forward in tandem, and neither can be lame.

"Once I finish writing 'Snow Country,' I'll lock myself and the math goddess in a dimly lit room and have a three-hundred-round battle..."