Chapter 219: Randolph Resembles Seagull
“He has indeed produced a major achievement recently.
The weak form of the Goldbach Conjecture, many big shots say it’s interesting.
But this can at most get published in one of the top four journals.
For us, publishing in the top four is definitely god-tier, I won’t deny that.
Every year, there are very few PhD students in Yenching University Mathematics Department who can publish in the top four.
For him to publish one, saying he’s god-tier is not over the top.
But from the top four to the Fields Medal, isn’t that a bit too far?
After all, expanding the scope to the whole world, there aren’t few PhD students who can publish in the top four every year.
But the Fields Medal is awarded every four years.
And it’s not selected from PhD students, but from all scholars under 40.
In my personal understanding, there’s still a very long way to go from the top four to the Fields Medal.
From publishing one top four, to stably publishing in the top four every other year, then to giving a speech of more than forty-five minutes on the main stage of the International Congress of Mathematicians, and finally the Fields Medal.
In terms of levels, there are probably about three more steps to climb.” Li Yiqing still felt Xu Xian was exaggerating a bit.
If only Lin Ran didn’t know, if Lin Ran heard it, he would definitely laugh out loud. If it were 1960, the International Congress of Mathematicians without his academic report would be dull even if held.
When the mentors of contemporary mathematics community top-tier experts listened to my academic report, it was like listening to heavenly music with ears temporarily enlightened.
After hearing Li Yiqing’s doubt, Xu Xian felt a moment of wavering inside, but after looking at the formula he screenshot and saved, he shook his head again:
“No, Brother Ran really has the strength.”
“Hey, Randolph? Can you hear my voice?” Terence Tao’s voice rang in the Zoom meeting room.
Lin Ran and Xu Xian only learned afterwards that Terence Tao had been looking for him for a long time.
For a “newcomer” mathematician, it’s still necessary to seek guidance from a big shot.
After contacting Terence Tao by email, and confirming by email that Lin Ran was willing to appear publicly, Terence Tao quickly set up a Zoom meeting.
A large number of mathematicians currently stuck at home wanted to chat with Lin Ran about the idea of combining algebraic geometry and primes.
Plus everyone wanted to watch the excitement.
To see just who Randolph is.
So after Terence Tao invited Lin Ran, he gathered a circle of friends, and the Zoom meeting room had fully thirty or forty people.
For a newcomer, having this number of people listening is already not few.
After all, time differences have to be considered.
“I can hear you, hello everyone, I’m Randolph Lin, the author of ‘Application of Algebraic Geometry Methods in the Proof of the Ternary Goldbach Conjecture’.
I’m a current PhD student from Stony Brook University, very pleased to be invited by Terry to give a simple remote academic report.”
Lin Ran’s figure appeared in the video.
Indeed as the outside world guessed, a young person of Chinese descent.
Simon Donaldson was puzzled, he asked: “Lin, sorry, if you’re a PhD student at Stony Brook, how come I’ve never seen you?
Let me introduce myself, I’m a professor at Stony Brook, working on harmonic analysis and partial differential equations.
Although my work is unrelated to algebraic geometry and prime problems, if you’re at Stony Brook, I should have seen you.
Or our school’s administrative secretary couldn’t find your name on the student list either.”
Lin Ran explained: “Oh, Professor Donaldson, sorry, I’m from the Computer Science school, you need to check the Computer Science school’s list.”
The voice room fell silent for a moment.
You’re from the Computer Science school.
And the professors in Stony Brook University Mathematics Department don’t know you.
What does this mean?
It means Lin Ran is a self-taught genius.
A self-taught genius who can publish in a top journal.
Everyone was a bit at a loss for words.
Fortunately, Simon Donaldson turned quickly:
“In that case, Randolph, are you interested in transferring to the Mathematics Department?
We’re short on PhD students like you.”
Terence Tao interrupted: “Simon, we’ll discuss Randolph switching majors later.
Let’s start today’s academic report now.
We have a lot of content to discuss.”
Lin Ran began his introduction:
“My method differs from traditional analytic methods. As you’re interested, I used tools from algebraic geometry, specifically properties of algebraic varieties and their zeta functions to analyze the distribution of prime sums.”
He scrolled to a slide full of equations, the cursor jumping between symbols. “Here, I define a specific affine variety whose points correspond to configurations of primes. By studying its zeta function, I extract statistical properties about these sums.”
“Randolph, how exactly does this variety you constructed encode primes?” Terence Tao interrupted.
“Good question, Terry. The structure of this variety is associated with certain polynomial constraints reflecting prime patterns.
Its zeta function, after decomposition, reveals information about the density of these points, which I connect to the requirements of the conjecture.
Everyone knows zeta functions in algebraic geometry are often used for point counting, but linking them to prime distribution is uncommon.
We need to bridge that gap, which involves using the Euler product of the zeta function, linking it to Dirichlet L-functions, creating a framework that imitates the analytic properties of primes.”
Compared to the paper, Lin Ran introduced his framework in even greater depth.
Facing the mathematicians’ questions, Lin Ran answered flawlessly.
Through this academic conference, everyone had no doubt that Lin Ran wrote this paper himself.
A self-taught genius wild mathematician is still quite rare in this era.
People left the meeting room one after another.
Only Simon Donaldson and Terence Tao remained in the Zoom meeting room.
“No, Terry, don’t you think it’s weird?” Simon Donaldson said in a dazed tone.
Terence Tao asked puzzled: “I think Randolph answered very well, didn’t he?
He explained the entire paper very thoroughly, and his thinking depth on how to combine some interdisciplinary areas, I need to think carefully about.
What’s strange?”
Simon Donaldson shook his head: “No, I’m not saying he answered poorly.
The problem is he spoke too well.
He doesn’t seem like a PhD student, but like a top-tier mathematician.
Moreover, like a top-tier mathematician who has already achieved success and fame.”
Terence Tao thought: “There is a bit of that feeling.
No signs of the stumbles or showing weakness that young scholars might have.”
Simon Donaldson rummaged through his long memory and finally found what he was looking for.
He said: “Not just that, I also saw the shadow of the late mathematician Seagull in him.
In some of his tone and content explanations, he gives me a feeling very much like Seagull.
The way he answered our questions wasn’t like a newcomer, but like he was guiding us.”
Terence Tao asked puzzled: “Seagull?”
Simon Donaldson nodded: “Professor Carl Seagull.
His last time attending the International Congress of Mathematicians was in 1978, when that year’s International Congress of Mathematicians awarded him the Wolf Prize in Mathematics, the lifetime honor award.
I was doing my PhD under Sir Atiyah at the time, and went with Sir to that Mathematician Conference.
Because Professor Seagull was already very old then, he said this was his last time attending the International Congress of Mathematicians, giving a farewell speech at the conference.
The feeling Randolph gives me is very much like Professor Seagull.
Although he probably wasn’t born when Professor Seagull passed away.
But this feeling is really very similar.”
If Lin Ran were still in the Zoom meeting room, he would definitely be surprised at how accurate Donaldson’s intuition was.
I am Seagull’s successor, isn’t it normal to be a bit similar? Lin Ran would think that in his heart.
Who Randolph is finally had a conclusion.
Lin Ran said at the academic conference that he is a current PhD student in Computer Science.
The news quickly spread.
First to Stony Brook University.
Lin Ran’s mentor has a very long name, Nilanjan Balasubramanian.
The place they’re in is fully named AI Innovation Lab.
Nilanjan is an assistant professor, mainly working on algorithm design, data science, machine learning, and natural language processing.
He recruited Lin Ran mainly thinking of doing some Graph AI related work.
As a professional, Lin Ran had analyzed Nilanjan.
Although Nilanjan is of Indian descent, it has to be admitted he has some real skills. After all, his Google Scholar citations are over four thousand.
Although the paper with the highest citations, with a total of 1641, is from 2009, but in recent years he has top conference papers, citations aren’t great but at least not junk.
According to Rate My Professors data, his teaching rating is 3.8 out of 5.
The comments include some saying course content is relevant, lecture quality high, homework design interesting, helps students apply knowledge.
Also some saying course is highly challenging, homework difficulty gaps with lecture content.
Interpreting it means high standards.
In recent years from paper quality, research level and energy have greatly declined, urgently needs fresh blood to help him hold up the sky.
Before going, Lin Ran felt he was such a talent.
After going, Lin Ran realized Graph AI is a huge mountain even he couldn’t hold up.
Now Lin Ran thinks, whoever wants to go can go, I’m not serving anymore.
When Nilanjan received the call from Steven, the director of AI Innovation Lab, he was completely dumbfounded.
The student he hadn’t seen recently, could only contact by email, inquire progress by Zoom, Randolph Lin turned out to be the hot Randolph Lin in the mathematics community recently, and the paper has even been conditionally accepted by one of the top four mathematics journals, New Progress in Mathematics.
No, I haven’t seen you for three months, how did you suddenly go from little yellow car to big yellow bee, directly becoming something I can’t comprehend?
Most importantly, why doesn’t the paper have my name on it! I should at least be second author.
For someone of Indian descent, not getting a benefit is a loss.
“Lin, no, Randolph, is there some miscommunication between us?” Nilanjan’s tone was unprecedentedly polite.
He was polite before too.
Politely saying some extremely pushy things.
But now the politeness even carries a hint of flattery.
“No, our communication was fine, the work you assigned me I’ve been advancing.” Lin Ran said.
From the mentor’s perspective, Nilanjan is pretty good.
The main reason Lin Ran chose him was that his topics involve applications of machine learning in information retrieval, mainly optimizing search and information extraction efficiency.
Learning this is great.
Learning this can find a job at big tech companies in America, whether Google, Amazon or Facebook, they all need talent in this area.
Search efficiency optimization, this direction is really too appealing.
Lin Ran just didn’t expect that after coming, Nilanjan suddenly got an idea to do Graph AI.
“Randolph, I heard you’re publishing an article at the New Progress in Mathematics.” Nilanjan said.
He’s been stuck at assistant professor for many years, if he could ride this coattail this time.
Dr. Lin Ran still has at least three years, publish a few more math top journals, he could ride to professor.
“Yes.” Lin Ran said straightforwardly: “Professor, I know what you mean, the problem is my paper is in number theory and algebraic geometry.
I’d love to put your name on it too, but the problem is you probably can’t even understand the problem, putting your name on it wouldn’t help.
I know your attainments in the field of mathematics, don’t the Stony Brook University Mathematics Department professors know? Wouldn’t they report you then?”
Nilanjan fell silent, he knew what Lin Ran said made a lot of sense.
Lin Ran continued: “Professor, if you provide convenience for me, I can continue staying at AI Innovation Lab, and the affiliation on my published papers will also be AI Innovation Lab.
For you, just cultivating a student like me is enough for you to get this year’s Stony Brook University Board of Trustees Award.
Although I can’t add your name to the authorship, it doesn’t mean you get no benefit.”
Nilanjan felt fooled: “No, you think one math top journal is enough for me to get the Stony Brook University Board of Trustees Award?
Don’t say just one top journal, even if this top journal gives me first authorship, I probably couldn’t get it.”
Nilanjan knew exactly what Lin Ran was talking about, the Board of Trustees Award is also Stony Brook University’s highest internal honor.
The Mathematics Department has ten or so top four papers every year.
You with this achievement, and I’m just your mentor, isn’t that a bit too exaggerated.
Lin Ran said: “What if not just one top four?”
Nilanjan immediately got curious: “Not top four, then what?”
Lin Ran said: “Fields Medal.”
Nilanjan was speechless: “Fields Medal? I’m not in Mathematics Department but I know clearly the Fields Medal is two years away.”
Lin Ran said: “No no no, it’s an irrefutable work.
Once this paper is published, I will have reserved the Fields Medal two years from now.
No matter how many mathematicians and what achievements come in the process, I’ve already reserved a spot in advance.
Anyway, just wait for the good news.”
Nilanjan was half believing half doubting, mainly because Lin Ran already had one top four in conditional acceptance: “What achievement?”
Lin Ran said calmly: “Completely solving the Twin Prime Conjecture.”
Nilanjan naturally knew what the Twin Prime Conjecture was, and knew its value.
“Real or fake?”
“Of course real, half a year, I just need half a year.” Lin Ran said.
