Chapter 16: Unexpected Visitor
“Professor Grothendieck, news from New York says that a young Chinese descent professor named Randolph Lin at Columbia University has proved Fermat’s Conjecture.
At the same time, he used a very new kind of method, which can transform problems in number theory into complex functions. It is said that the complete proof has a large amount of similar content, bridging mathematical content from different fields.
Now New York is asking you whether you want to attend Professor Randolph’s academic report on Fermat’s Last Theorem?
If you are willing to attend, they will postpone the time of the academic report until after you arrive in New York.”
At this time, Grothendieck was teaching in Paris. English has no distinction between you and you (formal), but French does.
Initially, Columbia University only planned to invite mathematicians from America universities for discussion, but later, whether it was the content of Fermat’s Conjecture or the Langlands Program, it was too shocking.
After the mathematicians learned the news, it spread from one to ten to a hundred, and through transoceanic telephone and fax, the news quickly reached Europe.
Columbia University thought, since it has already spread out, they might as well invite Grothendieck, the greatest mathematician at the time (perhaps without parallel), to attend Randolph’s academic report.
After Lin Ran’s 150-page paper on Fermat’s Conjecture was sent to Princeton University, the Princeton University Mathematics Department held meetings continuously for three days and three nights. The conclusion they reached was that there were no major problems in principle, and some doubts needed further explanation from Lin Ran.
Because if a mathematics paper is not written clearly enough, the easy proofs and obvious points in it are not easy at all in the eyes of others, which requires detailed explanation through the form of an academic report.
With the endorsement from the Princeton Mathematics Department, Professor Fox also had full confidence to invite Grothendieck to attend, and at least there wouldn’t be any major mistakes.
When all the talents gather, it’s a rare gathering. This opportunity to show face in front of the global mathematics community, Fox obviously did not want to miss.
“Randolph Lin? How have I never heard of this name?” Grothendieck asked his assistant.
The assistant said: “I don’t know the specific situation either. This is the latest New York Times, a report about Lin. This is faxed over from Columbia University, about the proof of Fermat’s Conjecture.”
The assistant handed the two materials to Grothendieck respectively. He first picked up the New York Times, and the front-page headline on it prominently read:
“Mathematics community 333-year mystery finally solved: Columbia University professor declares Fermat’s Conjecture ended
It is reported that Randolph Lin, a Chinese descent professor in the Columbia University Mathematics Department, has seemingly proved Fermat’s Conjecture, which spanned 333 years. Fermat’s Conjecture was proposed by French mathematician Pierre Fermat in 1637 as his last theorem. Its content is: there do not exist three positive integers such that when greater than 2, the Nth power of two numbers equals the Nth power of the third number has a solution.”
Grothendieck glanced roughly and then picked up the other party’s paper on Fermat’s Conjecture.
For a moment, the office fell silent. When he saw the construction of the relationship between elliptic curves and modular forms in the paper, he suddenly said: “Hite, book me a ticket, the fastest flight to New York.”
Similar dialogues appeared in the mouths of many European mathematicians.
After everyone read the part about the Langlands Program in the paper, they all realized that the mathematics community was about to usher in a shock.
Regardless of whether the other party’s proof of Fermat’s Conjecture is correct, the bridge connecting number theory, arithmetic geometry, and complex functions contained therein is real, the mathematical ideas contained therein are real, and the representation theory proposed by the other party can be applied to too many aspects.
Anyone who could understand this paper couldn’t resist booking a flight to New York.
The biggest reaction was from Andrew Wiles. He was already in New York. If Lin Ran didn’t live at Horkheimer’s house, Andrew Wiles even wanted to talk with Lin Ran all night long.
Because the mathematical ideas and mathematical methods used in Lin Ran’s paper were almost the best application he had envisioned.
“As expected, I didn’t guess wrong. There is a close relationship between number theory, algebraic geometry, and group representation theory! Randolph, you are a genius! Maybe you will become an even greater mathematician than me!”
However, regarding Lin Ran studying for a PhD in philosophy with Horkheimer, Andrew Wiles expressed dissatisfaction: “Randolph, you shouldn’t follow him to study philosophy. This is wasting your talent.
You are still young. You need to put more energy into mathematics, rather than diving into philosophy so early.
Besides, Horkheimer is a coward. Following him won’t lead to any good end!”
Under Lin Ran’s repeated questioning, he learned that Andrew Wiles’s sister Simone Weil was also a philosopher. Horkheimer fled to America early, away from the European battlefield, while his sister Simone Weil persisted on the front lines in Europe against the Nazis and finally sacrificed due to overwork and poor health.
In Andrew’s view, those who chose to run to America were all cowards.
Forgot to say, they were all Jewish people.
“How dare Andrew say this about me? He himself came to America during World War II, and it was I who introduced him to teach at the University of Chicago. Does he have the nerve to call me a coward?” Horkheimer was full of disbelief after hearing this from Lin Ran.
When Lin Ran relayed these words to Andrew during the day, the other party was also full of indignation: “My situation is different from his. I came to America after being arrested in Finland for anti-Nazi activities.
If Rolf Nevanlinna hadn’t appeared, I would have been shot in a Finnish prison. Horkheimer ran away without any resistance at all. How can this be the same!”
After Grothendieck’s time was confirmed, the time for Lin Ran’s academic report on Fermat’s Conjecture at Columbia University was also set, on the last day of January.
Besides mathematicians flocking in, a special person coming to the door was a bit unexpected for Lin Ran.
“Mr. Lin, my name is Zhou Shukai. I am the Consul General in New York. Besides consular work, I also handle some overseas Chinese affairs. After hearing about your outstanding achievements in mathematics, I came specially to congratulate you. This is a small token of appreciation. Please accept it.”
Zhou Shukai, previously Secretary to Gu Weijun, an old-school diplomat.
Lin Ran guessed that the other party came specifically to win him over after seeing the report in the New York Times.
But the other party’s sensitivity was astonishing enough.
Lin Ran took the envelope from the other party’s hand. Just by touch, he could tell there were 10 bills of 100 US Dollars inside. “Big hand,” he thought.
If China makes rapid progress in the field of aerospace in the future, building good relations with the 4v is also a way for him to mitigate risk, Lin Ran thought.
