Academician Wu Wenjun, a famous mathematician and winner of the first National Science and Technology Award, died in Beijing on May 7th at the age of 98. According to the obituary published by the Institute of Mathematics and System Science of China Academy of Sciences, Academician Wu Wenjun is one of the most internationally influential mathematicians in China, and his work has a far-reaching impact on the research of mathematics and computer science.

Wu Wenjun 19 19 12 was born in Shanghai in May. 1940 graduated from Shanghai jiaotong university, 1946 worked in the institute of mathematics of academia sinica. His mentoring story with the international master of mathematics, Chen Shengshen, was passed down as a much-told story by the mathematical community. At that time, Chen Shengshen was in charge of the topological research of the institute. With his help and guidance, Wu Wenjun, a former librarian, entered the field of topology research. Cao Xihua, who shared a dormitory with him, recalled that Wu Wenjun worked hard until late at night every day and didn't go to bed until he felt successful. I can wake up and find that there is something wrong with it and start over. In the afternoon, Wu Wenjun said to his colleague, "It's proved." But soon he will find a loophole and start to stay up late. I don't know how many times I repeated this, but I finally succeeded.

1947 He was admitted as an exchange student between China and France, went to study at the University of Strasbourg, obtained a national doctorate in France two years later, and worked as a researcher at the French National Science Center. When studying in France, he taught himself English, French, German and Russian in order to consult more foreign documents. He said modestly, "Knowing four foreign languages is nothing, they are just research tools." During his study abroad, he once again solved the most puzzling problem in topology-proving that the 4k-dimensional sphere has no nearly complex structure. The solution of this problem surprised European topology masters. They can't believe that a China student can solve such a difficult problem.

After the founding of New China, Wu Wenjun returned to China in 195 1 and worked in Peking University, Institute of Mathematics of China Academy of Sciences, Institute of Systems of China Academy of Sciences and Institute of Mathematics and Systems Science of China Academy of Sciences. The demonstrative class and embedded class he introduced are called "Wu demonstrative class" and "Wu demonstrative embedded class", and the relationship between demonstrative classes he derived is called "Wu formula", which greatly promoted the development of topology, became a far-reaching classic achievement, and triggered a lot of follow-up research. Because of his outstanding work, together with Hua and Qian Xuesen, he won the first National Natural Science Award with 1956 and was elected as an academician of China Academy of Sciences with 1957.

Until his later years, Wu Wenjun was studying mathematics. Inspired by computers and ancient mathematics in China, in the late 1970s, Wu Wenjun, who was nearly sixty years old, opened up a brand-new field of mathematical mechanization, thus creating the first research field in the history of modern mathematics that was originally created by China people. He summarized China's traditional mathematical thought as mechanization thought, and put forward a method of proving geometric theorem by computer, which is called "Wu Fa" internationally. The efficient automatic proof of geometric theorems is realized for the first time, which is the first time for computers to solve mathematical problems efficiently and automatically.

In order to verify the calculation results on the computer, he studied many programming languages such as Basic, Algol and Fortran when he was nearly 60 years old. At 7 o'clock every morning, he carries a steamed bun in his schoolbag. As soon as the manager opens the door, he plunges into the computer room and usually comes out after 10 hours. Go home at night, sort out the writing results after dinner, and then go back to the institute and enter the computer room two hours later, working until midnight or early morning. He concluded humorously: "Mathematics is suitable for stupid people."

In 200 1 year, Wu Wenjun won the first national highest science and technology award for his research in topology and mathematical mechanization. His research work also involves algebraic geometry, game theory, the history of Chinese mathematics and other mathematical fields, and has made outstanding contributions in them.

There is an asteroid named "Wu Wenjun Star" in the vast universe, which is a memorial and praise for his scientific contribution and spirit. The Sri Lankan people have gone, but the bright "Wu Wenjun Star" will shine forever, inspiring us to forge ahead to the peak of science.