I'm a scientist, why can't I have faith?

Around 7 p.m., Zhou Yan walked into the small classroom of the Lijiao School with her iPad.

As a student who had just stepped into Lu Jiuzhang's tutelage, Zhou Yan naturally became the tutor for the problem-solving sessions.

For someone like him, a gold medalist with a perfect score in the IMC (International Mathematical Contest for College Students), to teach freshmen is like a game-changer.

"My name is Zhou Yan, and I'm in charge of tutoring all of you in Mathematical Analysis this semester."

Upon hearing Zhou Yan's name, some whispers began to circulate in the audience, especially among the students from the School of Mathematical Sciences.

This senior student, Zhou Yan, is a well-known legendary figure in the School of Mathematical Sciences. He is not only the third Chinese athlete in history to achieve a perfect score in the IMC gold medal.

He is also a top expert who will soon publish a paper in Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics (CPAM).

CPAM is a prestigious journal, second only to the four top mathematics journals, and is a benchmark journal in the fields of pure mathematics and applied mathematics.

If an undergraduate student can publish in this journal as the first author, its academic value far exceeds the graduation standards of most mathematics doctoral students, and can even be directly compared with the top representative works of young mathematicians in domestic universities.

Although it has not been officially published yet, it has passed the initial review and entered the external review stage. Publication is only a matter of time.

It's truly exciting to have such a big shot mentoring these new students.

"Then I'll just start now. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can finish class, okay?"

"Let's look at the first question: Prove that the limit of the following sequence exists..."

Although Zhou Yan brought an iPad, he did not choose to use modern methods such as PowerPoint. Instead, he still used chalk to explain the problems on the blackboard, just like the older generation of teachers.

The iPad simply replaced the actual textbook.

In mathematics, handwriting is sometimes indeed more convenient.

Although Wang Dong didn't know who Zhou Yan was, he could sense that this senior's mathematical foundation was extremely profound.

Wang Dong didn't actually need to listen to most of the exercises today, because he solved them all perfectly.

Even so, listening to Zhou Yan's explanation still gave him a feeling of opening up a new world.

So that's how people think about problems...

The biggest difference between mathematical analysis and high school mathematics lies in their different logic.

High school math can be viewed as "problem-type math." As long as you master the most basic solution principles for a certain type of problem, you can solve the vast majority of similar problems through continuous practice.

In mathematical analysis, logic is more important. It's not about who can solve problems faster or who can do more problems, but about who can grasp the most fundamental logic.

This shift in mindset is what makes most students suddenly feel uncomfortable.

Wang Dong, on the other hand, has mathematical intuition. He started with basic logic from the beginning, so this change didn't affect him much.

This may seem like a talent, but it also has its downsides.

Whenever I encounter a problem, I only need to glance at it twice before the solution becomes clear.

This isn't a problem for practice questions like this, but whether this talent will still be useful when faced with cutting-edge problems that have plagued humanity for a long time is another question altogether.

Even a great mathematician like Gauss spent a great deal of time and effort solving these kinds of difficult problems and leading humanity toward progress.

Therefore, mastering the methods of thinking is crucial; even the most gifted person has limitations.

However, given the breadth of time, there is nothing a gifted person cannot accomplish when they have a knack for mastering methodologies of thinking.

Zhou Yan's explanations were all based on the thinking of ordinary students, which undoubtedly allowed Wang Dong to learn the essence of thinking.

It must be said that Zhou Yan's explanation was very thorough. Wang Dong only needed to sit in the audience, look at the blackboard and listen to Zhou Yan's explanation, and the knowledge would enter his brain all at once.

Therefore, each math analysis class became one of his ways of passing the time.

This is much easier than Professor Lu's classes.

Even Wang Dong, whose numerical skills had been enhanced several times, dared not be distracted in Professor Lu's mathematical analysis class. He had to concentrate fully to barely keep up with the train of thought.

However, the other students were not so relaxed. For them, Zhou Yan's math analysis class last week was no easier than Lu Jiuzhang's regular class.

Gong Zhan, in particular, deeply regretted choosing mathematical analysis as his major.

Why would someone who studies physics want to study mathematical analysis?

Why choose mathematical analysis just to show off when you can do advanced mathematics and perform calculations?

Gong Zhan was practically driven to the brink of collapse by the entire course of mathematical analysis, but whenever he saw Wang Dong's relaxed expression, he would force himself to continue studying.

No, it seems like Dongzi learns everything so easily...

Is the gap between us really that big?

However, Wang Dong's way of passing the time did not last long. With the end of the midterm exams and the approach of the "East Asia Smart Cup", he needed to devote more energy to the competition.

So he had no choice but to skip class until the competition ended.

Although it wasn't part of his regular grades, Wang Dong still asked senior Zhou Yan for leave.

"So you're Wang Dong. Actually, it wouldn't have mattered if you hadn't come."

Zhou Yan's answer clearly surprised Wang Dong. How could anyone advise someone not to come to class?

"I've looked at all your assignments. They're very well written. Your thought process is flawless, and some of your solutions even surprised me."

"With your level, I wouldn't say anything even if you skipped the first class."

Zhou Yan patted Wang Dong meaningfully.

"University is not like high school where you can just follow the steps. If you want to stand out, you have to move forward without hesitation."

"As long as it doesn't become too difficult for you, keep learning. That way you can reach the forefront of academia as soon as possible and do something meaningful."

Zhou Yan's words were very helpful to Wang Dong.

Indeed, for higher education, whether it is senior students or professors, they are merely a form of resource supplement.

The real way to improve one's skills is through self-directed learning.

What a professor might spend weeks teaching in class, you can actually learn and master in just a few days.

In this situation, there is absolutely no need to study at the prescribed pace as in high school.

They can rely on their numerical talent to learn ahead of others by reading books, just like their classmates in high school.

As long as you're not stumped or trapped, keep going deeper and deeper. That's how you reach the forefront of academia and do something to change the world.

"If you have any difficulties with math, you can tell me. I'm happy to help my juniors."

And just like that, Wang Dong inexplicably added Zhou Yan on WeChat.

They also successfully transitioned from the learning mindset they had in high school.

If you want to learn something, just learn it yourself. There's no need to be confined to your major or the curriculum.

After all, life has endless possibilities.