When the traffic lights in Hong Kong turn green and pedestrians can pass, they will make a "clang", which makes people feel forced to speed up their steps. This is the rhythm of Hong Kong. Everyone is in a hurry, and everyone is running towards their goals. Some people say that in a fast-paced place like Hong Kong, there is a strong commercial atmosphere and it is a cultural desert. However, when the glitz is washed away, there will always be some people who insist-no matter how noisy it is around, they insist on their ideals and do what they want to do. The conversation with Professor Li Jianshu, the head of the Department of Mathematics of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, is also fast-paced-he told his life experience while eating noodles at lunch. In just half an hour, the world-famous mathematician talked about his love and persistence in mathematics.
With the determination to be the pillar of the motherland, I was admitted to the university.
Li Jianshu is now a world-famous mathematician. Recalling his growing experience, he wanted to say "thank you" most.
Li Jianshu, a native of Kanshan, Xiaoshan, graduated from 1976 high school. When the college entrance examination resumed the next year, he took the exam. But the first college entrance examination failed to achieve its goal because of my father's composition. "At that time, the Cultural Revolution had just ended, but some ideologies remained in the past. At that time, the commune secretary said how the landlord's son could go to college and failed the first college entrance examination. "
But Li Jianshu is not discouraged. The next year, he took part in the college entrance examination. At that time, the secretary of the commune was changed, and the new secretary Yao was more talented, so he replaced the landlord component in the form he filled in with farmers. Finally, Li Jianshu was admitted to the Civil Engineering Department of Zhejiang University. Knowing that Li Jianshu was admitted to the university, Secretary Yao took out some photos of skyscrapers and encouraged him to build more such buildings in the future. The secretary even borrowed a car to take him to school.
"At that time, going to college was completely different from the mentality of young people going to college now. We really entered the university with the determination to be the pillars of the motherland. This feeling is very strong, because the reform and opening up has just begun, and everything is waiting for prosperity, just like the song "A toast" sung at that time-I am willing to shed blood and sweat in order to realize the four modernizations. " Li Jianshu said that it was an age of boiling blood.
However, Li Jianshu did not develop in the direction of an architect. Because of his stronger interest in mathematics, Li Jianshu made this wish to his teacher when he was in college. Li Jianshu still clearly remembers that there was a math contest six months after entering the university, and the exam was calculus. He won the second place in the whole school. After this competition, he transferred to the Department of Mathematics as he wished. 1980, in the second year of college, an American professor visited Zhejiang University, and the American professor recommended him to study in the United States. After that, Li Jianshu studied at Cornell University and Yale University successively, and obtained a doctorate from Yale University.
"When I was growing up, I got the help of many people, who put me on the road of mathematical research." Li Jianshu said.
Mathematics is like beautiful music.
Li Jianshu is very passionate about mathematics. Talking about mathematics is like talking about a beloved baby.
The research done by Li Jianshu is somewhat unpopular for ordinary people-number theory and "Lie Group" representation theory. Maybe in others' eyes, basic mathematics is boring and can't bring practical economic benefits, but in Li Jianshu's eyes, mathematics is like a wonderful music.
Why do you like math? Li Jianshu made an analogy, just as musicians like music, painters like painting and writers like writing, which is natural.
Li Jianshu believes that mathematics is not only the cornerstone of science and technology, but also the cornerstone of western civilization. "There are also some mathematical discoveries in the history of China, but they have not become the cornerstone of Chinese civilization. But in the west, mathematics is not only the application of science and technology since ancient Greece, but also has become an important part of civilization. At that time, mathematics was a compulsory course for western aristocrats and a kind of cultural accomplishment, just as ancient intellectuals in China needed to master the skills of piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. "
Comparing the different attitudes of Chinese and western cultures towards mathematics, Li Jianshu thinks that there are essential differences between western mathematics and China mathematics, while China mathematics emphasizes application. From the very beginning, western mathematics asked why in theory and studied the essential problems, thus establishing a very deep theoretical foundation.
"Mathematics is the inner exploration of human nature, just like philosophy. Some mathematical research may not have any application value at first, but after many years, those abstruse theories have been applied without exception. Just like without calculus, there is no Newtonian mechanics, no Riemann geometry, and no Einstein's theory of relativity. "
Li Jianshu said: "Many of the greatest theorems and conclusions in history were not drawn from a practical point of view. The most wonderful mathematics, the greatest mathematics, can be handed down forever, which is the kind of exploration for the pursuit of reason itself. Basic mathematics is like a kind of music, and' column group' means that the theory is looking for the most beautiful and harmonious rhythm. "
Lin Fanghua, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, academician of American Academy of Arts, winner of the 9th "Chen Shengshen" Award; Guan Pengfei, a professor of mathematics at McGill University in Canada ... These famous mathematicians are Li Jianshu's alumni and classmates in the mathematics department of Zhejiang University. But now, people seldom hear heated discussions about mathematics. When talking about whether the reasons of the times make people pay more attention to reality, Li Jianshu said that the development of the times allows people to have access to a lot of information, but it is hard to say whether it is a blessing or a curse for individuals to enter the information age. In the past, people's information may be relatively closed, but people respect wisdom and ideas. Nowadays, many young people have more channels to receive information and express their individuality, while their thoughts are put aside. However, Li Jianshu is not pessimistic. He said that there are still many young people who are interested in basic mathematics. They are all working quietly, and they will certainly gain something in time.
I hope my hometown will develop better and better.
Although Hong Kong is a bustling place, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where Li Jianshu is located is far away from the noisy mountains and seas, and you can see the beautiful sea view through the glass windows of the teaching building. "In Hong Kong, every professor has to give lectures to undergraduates. What I am teaching now is the most basic mathematics. " Although he is the head of the Department of Mathematics of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Li Jianshu still undertakes many teaching tasks. He is also a long-term visiting professor at Zhejiang University, training mathematics talents in the Mainland.
Speaking of Zhejiang and Xiaoshan, Li Jianshu's words are full of feelings. In that hot land where he was born and raised, he left a lot of sweat of hardship and struggle. Today, Li Jianshu goes back to his hometown once a year, but he always comes quietly and leaves quietly. He is proud of the rapid development of the place where he grew up. He said that although Xiaoshan is not rich in natural resources, the hardworking and intelligent Xiaoshan people have created many miracles in the past, and they feel different every time they go home. Now there are many high-rise buildings in Xiaoshan, which are becoming more and more modern. Many famous entrepreneurs have also been born in this hot land. I hope Xiaoshan can continue to maintain the momentum of rapid development, getting better and better, and becoming more and more modern.