Go back to the past and be a schoolboy

Chapter 30 Why is the fireplace cold?
Princeton University campus in New Jersey on the east coast of the United States.

Braving the snow, Fan Yin wrapped his coat tightly as much as possible to prevent the cold wind from entering.

As a professor of mathematics, he also has other identities, such as the dean of the Department of Mathematics at Princeton University, the chairman of the Faculty Council, the dean of the Science Department, the acting principal, the editor-in-chief of the Yearbook of Mathematics, and the chairman of the American Mathematical Society. people.

In a nutshell, Fan Yin is the leader of the American mathematics community. Without him, both Princeton and American mathematics would not be able to do well.

But at this time, he also had a worry. No matter how hard he tried, their mathematical ability could not catch up with the Europeans, especially when facing the Göttingen School of Mathematics.

Crossing the alley, he came to a building with the nameplate of the editorial office of "Yearbook of Mathematics". It's a good manuscript, I hope you don't let me down."

Veblen, who is also a professor in the Department of Mathematics and is good at differential geometry and projective geometry, was full of excitement: "Dean, Kronecker's dream of youth has been solved. It is confirmed that the elliptic function has a modular equation of complex multiplication and an imaginary quadratic domain. Bell expansion has similarities!"

"Oh, God, Veblen, do you know what you're talking about?" Fan Yin waved his hands in disbelief, "Is it the conjecture proposed by my teacher Kronecker?"

"Yes!"

Fan Yin still couldn't believe it, and while he was busy running over, he asked again: "It's about No. 23 of Hilbert's famous 12 questions. Kronecker's theorem on the Abelian field can be extended to any algebraic rationality." Domain?"

"Yes, that's the one!"

At this moment, Fan Yin no longer cared about his image, and rushed over to snatch the manuscript paper, and started to read it with trembling hands.

The reason why he is so excited is that Fan Yin studied with Kronecker for a long time after he got his doctorate in mathematics in Germany, and the two formed a deep friendship here.For this conjecture, Kronecker did not prove it until his death, which has always been a pity.In order to help teachers realize this ideal, Fan Yin has been trying to prove it for many years, but it seems that his talent is in mathematics education, and he has not made any progress so far.It is now conjectured that it may prove that the teacher's last wish seems to be close at hand.

On the other hand, the 23 questions proposed by Hilbert at the beginning of the century have attracted the attention of mathematicians all over the world, and solving any of them can cause a sensation in the academic world. Dreams can just provide new ideas and new tools for solving the No.12 problem. Maybe you will go straight to Huanglong along the line of thought, and the world of mathematics will enter a new chapter.

Of course, what he didn't know was that the No.12 question remained unsolved into the 21st century.

In addition, Fan Yin has a more secretive personal reason. With this paper, which is enough to cause a sensation in the mathematics world, he provides the journal with huge exposure.

In order to prevent misreading, Fan Yin put his finger under the letter and began to read word by word: "Assume k is an imaginary quadratic field, and the Hilbert class field of k can be constructed by complex multiplication theory. Any arbitrary k The fractional ideal a is the lattice of the complex area C, thus determined."

In order to prevent mistakes, I deliberately took out the pencil and manuscript paper, and solved the problems step by step according to the ideas of the thesis, but after all, I was getting older, and the sweat on my face was getting more and more, and finally dripped directly on the manuscript paper.

"Veblen, what are you doing with the fireplace burning so hot, open the window to let some air in."

"Dean, this fireplace. Okay, I'll go and open the window right now." Veblen originally wanted to say that it was your own sweat that had nothing to do with the fireplace, but considering that the person in front of you is the boss, it's better not to say anything. A little better.

In fact, before Fan Yin came, Veblen had already discussed with other editors many times, and found no problems. After confirming that the conjecture was resolved, he dared to show it to the boss and let him make the final decision.

As the thesis read faster and faster, Fan Yin used more and more straw paper, and finally was directly overwhelmed by the straw paper.

After a long time, he finally got up from the pile of straw paper with a blushing face, put down his pen and let out a long sigh of relief.

Veblen hurriedly handed over a cup of coffee and asked, "Boss, what's the result, has it been proved?"

Fan Yin suddenly stood up, startled Veblen, and was hugged by him, jumping and jumping: "Vebrun, Kronecker's dream of youth has been proved, you know what it means What does that mean that our American mathematics is about to rise!"

In fact, Fan Yin's first job after graduating from university was not mathematics, but physics.Later, he became interested in mathematics, and was introduced to Germany, the center of mathematics at that time, where he studied under the leader of the Göttingen School, Klein, and received a Ph.D. in mathematics in just one year.

Later, he saw the backwardness of mathematics in the United States, and determined to build the United States into the center of mathematics in the world, and make Princeton the cradle of mathematicians in the world. For this reason, he snatched the "Yearbook of Mathematics" hosted by Harvard, and hired many of them eclecticly. Mathematics talents go to Princeton University to teach.

In other words, Western Fan Yin is to the Department of Mathematics at Princeton University, just like Eastern Cai Yuanpei is to the liberal arts at Peking University.

"Now we can finally give those hateful Germans a good look." Veblen was also quite touched. Even though Germany is in the quagmire of World War I, the goddess of mathematics seems to be still looking after them, which is annoying.

Fan Yin tidied up his desk and said solemnly: "This paper is related to the future of our journal and American mathematics. I will give you a week, no, I will give you three days, and it will be published in our "Mathematics Yearbook" immediately. Publish it as quickly as possible."

Veblen looked puzzled: "But we have already published an issue this month. According to the usual practice, the next issue will be every other month. Will it appear that we are not professional enough?"

Fan Yin patted his forehead and said helplessly: "My dear professor of differential geometry, don't you know how to publish a supplement? You don't even need to bring other papers, just publish one of them."

I deliberately turned the paper to the last page, and then said: "If you take a closer look, it not only proves the conjecture, but also may create a new discipline called class field theory. Don't you know what this means? ?”

Veblen hesitated for a moment, and said: "It means that this author has already walked ahead of everyone, and our "Mathematics Yearbook" will attract the attention of mathematicians all over the world."

"Bingo!" Fan Yin snapped his fingers, as if the future was under his control: "In addition to publishing supplements, contact the author named Tom Cheng as soon as possible, and give him the highest standard of payment."

This Tom Cheng is an English name of Cheng Nuo, which is specially used to publish theoretical academic papers, and the other English name is Jerry, which is used to publish applied papers and apply for patents in the future, so as to prevent personal information from being found by interested people.

"Okay Dean, I'll do it now." After hearing the order, Veblen was ready to do it.

Unexpectedly, Fan Yin stopped him again at this time: "Wait a minute, you wait first."

But when Veblen stopped and waited for further arrangements, the only response to him was the rhythmic clacking of the table with his index finger knuckles.

After a while, Fan Yin made up his mind and said: "I see that the author and you both graduated from Harvard. You must contact him and tell him that apart from the manuscript fee, I will hire him as a professor of mathematics on behalf of Princeton University!"

After Veblen left, Fan Yin, whose enthusiasm had dissipated, quickly put on his coat, shivering from the cold, touched the fireplace, and complained, "Fuck, who forgot to add firewood to the fireplace again!"

　Thanks to book friend Alex for the frozen 1500 starting point coin reward!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)