Chen Jingrun 1935 was born in a family of post and telecommunications workers in Minhou Town, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. There are many children at home and poor economic conditions.
Chen Jingrun was weak, introverted and unsociable when he was a child, so he was laughed at, abused and even beaten by his friends.
But he has a keen interest in mathematics. Once he entered the realm of mathematics, he ignored everything.
Later, Chen Jingrun entered Huaying Middle School in Fuzhou. One day, the teacher told the students a famous problem in number theory: 1742. The German mathematician Goldbach found that any even number can be expressed as the sum of two prime numbers. He tested many even numbers and the results were all correct.
But he can't prove it, he can only call it speculation. He wrote to Euler, a famous mathematician at that time, asking him to help prove it, but Euler didn't give Goldbach the proof he wanted until his death. For more than 200 years, many mathematicians have tried to prove it, but all failed. As soon as the teacher finished speaking, the students began to talk about it.
The teacher went on to say, "number theory is the crown of mathematics, and Goldbach conjecture is the jewel in the crown." You should set up lofty ideals from an early age, learn mathematics well, and take off the pearl in the crown of mathematics when you grow up. " The classroom was suddenly silent, and the students were lost in thought, as if thinking about something. Chen Jingrun also bowed his head, lost in thought, all this is too mysterious and attractive for him.
He secretly made up his mind that he must study hard and pick this pearl when he grows up.
After that, Chen Jingrun studied math harder. He not only worked hard to finish the math problems assigned by his math teacher, but also taught himself many math books.
Once, the math teacher assigned 33 questions for students to choose 10. However, Chen Jingrun not only completed 33 problems, but also gave a variety of solutions for each problem. His math performance has always been the first in his class.
In the second year of high school, Chen Jingrun was forced to drop out of school because his family was too poor. Surprisingly, by 1950, he was admitted to Xiamen University with the qualification of "equivalent academic ability". It took Chen Jingrun only three years to complete the four-year course of University Mathematics Department.
1953, Chen Jingrun graduated early as high flyers, and was given priority to be a teacher in a middle school in Beijing.
However, Chen Jingrun's introverted personality is not suitable for being a teacher at all. He failed, so he had to leave middle school and set up a bookstall on the streets of Fuzhou to live. But he was lucky.
Wang Yanan, president of Xiamen University, immediately asked Chen Jingrun to return to Xiamen University as a librarian. So that he can concentrate on his math.
After coming to Xiamen University Library, Chen Jingrun felt like a duck to water in the Wang Yang sea of mathematics. He carefully studied the famous mathematician Hua's "Overlapping Primes Theory" and "A Guide to Number Theory", and carefully scrutinized every question in the book. He found some subtle mistakes in Hua's book. So he got up the courage to write a letter to Professor Hua and put forward his own views.
After receiving Chen Jingrun's letter, Hua spoke highly of his insights and talents. Hua affirmed Chen Jingrun's point of view, and warmly invited him to attend 1956, the first national mathematics seminar, and read his paper at the meeting. After the meeting, Hua transferred him to the Institute of Mathematics of China Academy of Sciences in Beijing.
Chen Jingrun has never forgotten his boyhood dream. He made up his mind to try his best to get the pearl. After being transferred to the Institute of Mathematics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, he worked harder.
In order to keep up with the latest mathematical research results in the world, he learned four languages: Russian, English, German and French at an amazing speed in a few years. In the process of marching into Goldbach's conjecture, he forgot to eat and sleep, concentrated on thinking, carried out unimaginable calculations, and was even regarded as a "bookworm" by others.
Once, thinking while walking, he bumped into a big tree and quickly apologized to the "other party". On another occasion, he was hospitalized with tuberculosis and sneaked out of the hospital before he recovered-he couldn't stay any longer, and he didn't read math books or do math problems, which made him miserable.
For more than 200 years, countless mathematicians have accused Goldbach's conjecture. It was not until 1948 that the Hungarian mathematician Ian made a major breakthrough. He proved that every big even number is the sum of a prime number and a number with no more than six prime factors (1+6).
1962, China mathematician Pan Chengtong proved (1+5). In the same year, Wang Yuan and Pan Chengtong proved again (1+4). By 1965, Buchstaber and other three foreign mathematicians had proved (1+3).
1966, after nearly ten years' efforts, Chen Jingrun announced in the 17 issue of Science Bulletin of China Academy of Sciences that he had advanced the proof of Goldbach's conjecture (1+2)! Foreign scientists have proved (1+3) that advanced computers are used, while Chen Jingrun uses pens and paper!
During the "Cultural Revolution", Chen Jingrun was not spared and was criticized by the rebels, who called him "blood sucking worm and pseudoscience". However, he overcame many difficulties and continued his research.
1973, Chen Jingrun found a simple method to prove Goldbach's conjecture. The academic paper "Every big even number is the sum of the products of a prime number and no more than two prime numbers" was published, which caused great repercussions in the field of mathematics at home and abroad. China's famous mathematicians Hua and Min Sihe spoke highly of this.
Mathematicians and authoritative mathematical journals all over the world have given enthusiastic praise and affirmation, saying that Chen Jingrun's research is "the glorious culmination of the application of' screening method' in the world". After seeing Chen Jingrun's article, Haberstein, a famous British scientist, and Li Xite, a mathematician in the Federal Republic of Germany, immediately stopped printing the book Sieve Method and postponed its publication.
They decided to write the main points of Chen Jingrun's paper as the last chapter of the book and named it "Chen Theorem". Huxley, an English mathematician, wrote a letter to Chen Jingrun praising him: "Ah, you moved all the mountains!" Until today, this research achievement still maintains the world leading level.
1March, 1996 19, Chen Jingrun died of long-term fatigue and irregular life, and her condition became worse. A farewell elegy brilliantly summarizes Chen Jingrun's immortal spirit and great contribution:
Jing xing intends to try to move the mountain of mathematics to seize the bright pearl of the world;
Moisten things quietly, strive to contribute to climbing the peak of science and technology, and shine with the heart of a child!