The top student must be diligent.

Chapter 166 Invitation Letter to the National Science and Technology Awards Conference
The heated discussion about the W boson's overmass gradually died down after about a month.

Of course, the physics community is also aware that everyone is now waiting for the latest results from CERN and the Institute of High Energy Physics. In addition, after discussions at the meeting, CERN finally decided to give top priority to verifying the mass of the W boson in the new collision mission three months later.

This all takes some time.

Scholars in related fields have also turned their attention back to their respective research.

Time passed and it was September 9st.

It is the new school season again. The high school students who just finished the college entrance examination in the first half of the year have now become college students.

In addition, the same is true for graduate students who have passed the initial and re-examinations and finally successfully entered the schools of their choice.

Chinese Academy of Sciences, School of Basic Sciences.

Graduate students from the Institute of Mathematics and the neighboring Institute of Physics entered today the place where they will live in the future during their graduate studies.

This type of research institution generally has graduate programs, which are suitable for students who are more interested in research. Compared with graduate studies in university, it is more professional and pure.

At this time, in the Institute of Mathematics, in the office of Academician Xun Yong.

This year he also accepted two master's students and one doctoral student.

At this time, his two new master's students, who had just enrolled today, were reporting to their mentor in the office.

"Hello, Teacher Xun!"

"Teacher Xun!"

The two new master's students were very excited. After all, who would have thought that they would successfully become the disciples of an academician.

In particular, this academician is a genius. He was elected academician at the age of 42, which makes him one of the youngest among all the academicians.

"Hello."

Looking at the two young men in front of him, Xun Yong smiled and nodded: "Gong Weihua, and Zou Qiao, right?"

"Yes." The two nodded.

"Okay, then, Gong Weihua, you graduated from the Department of Mathematics at the University of the Academy of Sciences, right? I remember during the previous interview, you said that you wanted to study algebraic geometry? And you published a paper in a core journal during your undergraduate studies, but your paper was not about algebraic geometry, but about complex functions. Why are you interested in algebraic geometry now?"

Gong Weihua scratched his head and said embarrassedly: "Yes, I was thinking about graduate school, and I should also study some more in-depth mathematics."

Xun Yong smiled and said, "Okay, if you have a good foundation in complex functions, it will be helpful for learning algebraic geometry. You can try it first. Have you studied GTM52?"

Gong Weihua said: "I have studied it. After I was confirmed to be admitted to graduate school, I started to study GTM52 on my own and have now finished reading it."

"Oh, that's alright."

Xun Yong nodded with satisfaction. From this, it can be seen that Gong Weihua has a plan for his postgraduate career and has set algebraic geometry as his goal very early on. As a teacher, he likes such students the most.

"Our algebraic geometry class here is taught by Professor Zhang Ping. You can listen carefully. His class is very good. Then you should study GTM52 carefully. It is best to study it several times. In addition, you should also study abstract algebra and algebraic topology carefully. If you want to learn algebraic geometry well, you must master these prerequisite knowledge."

"Thank you, teacher." Gong Weihua nodded.

"Yeah." Xun Yong nodded, then turned to look at Zou Qiao next to him and began to ask about his future plans.

Zou Qiao is a graduate of Tsinghua University. He performed outstandingly during his undergraduate studies. He not only published a core paper, but also a zone II SCI paper. It can be said that he was more than qualified to study abroad. However, he eventually chose to stay in China, perhaps because he considered the tuition fees to be too expensive.

Just like that, after another round of communication, Xun Yong also understood the direction that Zou Qiao intended to research.

"As for analytical mathematics, it's not bad either. Let me take a look at your transcript... Well, you got full marks in real analysis and complex analysis during your undergraduate studies, and 99 in functional analysis, which is good. You also got harmonic analysis and nonlinear analysis..."

Analytical mathematics is also a very good direction, and it is also very useful. It can be used to study problems in many fields of mathematics. Even if you want to change your career in the future, the foundation of analytical mathematics can provide a lot of help.

In this way, Xun Yong gave his two new disciples some guidance on the future direction, and then assigned them short-term and long-term tasks. The short-term tasks were the learning goals, and the long-term tasks naturally referred to their graduation thesis.

Mathematics graduation thesis is probably one of the most difficult among many majors, so they have to make good preparations for what they want to write.

"...Okay, if you have any other questions, you can discuss with your seniors. They should know more than me. The laboratory is next door. I will take you to meet them later."

"Okay, teacher." The two nodded.

At this time, Zou Qiao asked again: "By the way, teacher, is there another doctoral student who entered school with us? Why don't I see him?"

"He."

Speaking of this doctoral fellow, Xun Yong's expression was a little strange: "He might be busy and has no time to come."

"what?"

Gong Weihua and Zou Qiao were suddenly confused. What the hell?

Is their doctoral senior so awesome?
He didn't show up on the first day of registration, but this academician wasn't angry?

At this moment, the office door was opened and a voice came in: "Teacher Xun, look at what you said, I still have to come on this first day."

When Xun Yong saw this man, he said to the two people in front of him, "Here, your doctoral brother is here."

The two turned their heads in confusion, and then were both shocked.

“Xiao Xiao Xiao Xiao… God Xiao?!”

"Fuck!"

This doctoral student of Xun Yong was Xiao Yi.

Last week, Academician Xi Lan approached Xiao Yi and told him that it was time to choose a mentor.

Other graduate students had already chosen their supervisors several months ago, but because of Xiao Yi's special circumstances, he had not yet decided on one.

It was precisely because of this that Gong Weihua and Zou Qiao did not know before that there was a doctoral senior fellow enrolling with them. They only heard this news two days ago when Xun Yong accidentally revealed that he had used up all the places for one doctoral student and two master's students this year. Only then did they know that there was another doctoral senior fellow.

Xiao Yi just confirmed his mentor a few days ago.

For him, any academician in the entire Institute of Mathematics could be his mentor, and Xun Yong had once accompanied him to the United States, and their communication was relatively harmonious, so it was normal to choose him.

"Junior Brother Gong and Junior Brother Zou, right? Nice to meet you."

Xiao Yi greeted his two fellow apprentices.

Looking at Xiao Yi's face, which they had worshipped countless times in various places, it took the two of them a long time to recover from their shock, and then they quickly responded: "Hello, Senior Brother Xiao..."

Xiao Yi smiled and nodded, then he looked at Xun Yong and said, "Teacher Xun, were you making plans for them just now?"

"Yes." Xun Yong nodded: "Why do you want me to plan it for you?"

Xiao Yi chuckled: "You are a teacher now, you have the final say."

"Go away." Xun Yong rolled his eyes immediately: "The sooner you graduate, the sooner I can be free. Being your mentor is too stressful."

"But I still have to ask, what are you going to write for your graduation thesis?"

"Well..." Xiao Yi thought about it for a while, and finally shook his head: "I haven't thought about it yet."

Xun Yong waved his hand and said, "Just don't give me the whole Millennium Problem. Otherwise, it will be too uncomfortable for me to be a mentor."

"Uh...I'll try my best."

Xiao Yi's expression was a little strange.

Isn’t the mass gap problem that he has been studying recently the Millennium Problem?
Xun Yong didn't notice Xiao Yi's strange expression and said, "Okay, I'll take you to the laboratory to meet the others."

Then he got up and took the three people to the laboratory next door.
The math lab is just a simple workstation, nothing else.

The laboratory is quite large, because there are not only Xun Yong's students, but also other students. He is considered a senior tutor, and there are also students of other junior tutors in the laboratory.

As for research groups like in other professional laboratories, there are none here.

After all, they are not working on any research projects, and the teachers don’t think that these students can help with their research projects.

Therefore, they basically don’t even have group meetings. At most, the instructor feels that it is time to put some pressure on his or her students, so he or she will hold a group meeting and let them talk about what they have done during this period.

I can only say that basic mathematics is like this. All you have to do every day is get up, eat, read papers, write papers, and sleep. It is a completely free-range state. However, there are many things to consider in other majors. Not only do you have to read and write papers, but you also have to do research projects. You may even be treated like a beast of burden and be exploited.

"Hey, are half of you not here?"

After entering the laboratory, Xun Yong frowned at the people inside and asked, "Hu Chengbo, what's going on?"

Hu Chengbo is his senior disciple. He has been studying for a doctorate for almost 4 years and may not be far from graduation.

Hearing the teacher's question, Hu Chengbo didn't know how to answer for a moment: "Uh... well..."

Who would have thought that their teacher would come over to check attendance today?
It seems like this has never happened before?
"Forget it, I'm too lazy to ask you." Xun Yong shook his head, and he could guess what was going on. He might still be sleeping in the dormitory, playing games, or he might have gone out to play.

"Alright everyone, pay attention, let me introduce you to your new classmates this year."

Standing in front of the laboratory, Xun Yong clapped his hands.

Soon, all the graduate students in the laboratory looked over curiously and glanced at the three students standing next to Xun Yong.

After a quick glance, when they saw Xiao Yi among them, their eyes suddenly widened.

"I'm super, Xiao Shen?"

It can only be said that the reactions of Gong Weihua and Zou Qiao just now are exactly the same.

Xiao Yi actually became their fellow disciple?
Xiao Yi smiled and nodded to them at this time, saying hello: "Hello, everyone."

Xun Yong said, "I won't introduce Xiao Yi any further. You may know him better than I do. Well, Xiao Yi will probably only be your fellow student for one year. You should make the most of this year to build a good relationship with him. This is an opportunity that I, your teacher, have fought for you."

Hearing this, Xiao Yi was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, while the graduate students in the laboratory immediately applauded excitedly.

In the eyes of these young people, Xiao Yi is an absolute idol, and now they can actually study with their idol?

Hmm...well, it is still a question whether Xiao Yi can attend classes with them.

After introducing Xiao Yi, Xun Yong introduced Gong Weihua and Zou Qiao to them.

"Hu Chengbo, these are all your fellow apprentices. Please make arrangements for them."

Xun Yong left the laboratory after he finished speaking.

Hu Chengbo nodded, then he stepped forward and said, "Senior Brother Xiao, please come this way, and Junior Brother Gong and Junior Brother Zou."

Xiao Yi quickly said: "No, no, no, Teacher Xun just said that you are the senior brother."

"You are really embarrassing me. Whoever graduates first is the senior brother? You have only one year left to graduate, and I haven't even figured out the topic for my graduation thesis. You are the senior brother!"

Hu Chengbo waved his hands quickly.

Xiao Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and finally said, "Forget it, Senior Brother Hu, I won't argue with you. How about we add each other on WeChat first? By the way, what's your name? I didn't hear clearly what Teacher Xun said just now."

When Hu Chengbo heard that he could add Xiao Yi's WeChat, his eyes lit up and he immediately took out his phone: "Okay, okay, I'll add you right away. My name is Hu Chengbo."

"Hu Chengbo..." Xiao Yi was stunned, "Chengbo?"

He almost couldn't hold it in and started coughing.

Hu Chengbo's eyes turned resentful.

"Hahahaha!"

Everyone else in the lab burst into laughter, including Gong Weihua and Zou Qiao next to them.

"Sorry, sorry, that, I didn't mean it."

Realizing that this was a bit inappropriate, Xiao Yi quickly apologized.

Hu Chengbo waved his hand: "It's okay, I'm used to it."

Then he glared at the other people in the lab and said, "What are you laughing at? Don't you know to come here and ask for WeChat?"

After hearing what the senior brother said, the others reacted one after another, and quickly came up and added Xiao Yi on WeChat.

In this way, Xiao Yi quickly fought with them.

Of course, Gong Weihua and Zou Qiao also quickly integrated into the group, and it was even easier for them than for Xiao Yi.

After all, although Xiao Yi is of the same age as them, and he is even the youngest, with the others already in their twenties and Xiao Yi only eighteen, in the eyes of others, Xiao Yi is still a mathematician who has been famous in the mathematics world for a long time.

There is still a sense of distance.

Of course, Xiao Yi didn't care about this sense of distance.

After all, as Xun Yong said, he would only stay here for a year at most.

He is most likely just a passer-by in this laboratory.

……

Time passed quickly again, and it was a day in mid-October.

In Xiao Yi's dormitory, he was sitting at his desk, continuing to think about the quality gap problem.

The desk was filled with all kinds of draft papers, while the floor and the trash can next to it were filled with a lot of crumpled papers.
These draft papers are filled with his thoughts and research on this issue from various angles.

But we have to admit that the Millennium Problem is worthy of being called the Millennium Problem.

It was much more difficult than any problem he had ever studied.

This problem in particular almost combines the top mathematical problems and the top physics problems together.

If we want to solve it, it is basically impossible if we cannot achieve success in both areas.

"At first, I thought about it from the perspective of lattice QCD. By discretizing space and time, I verified the existence of the mass gap through numerical simulations... However, although the numerical simulations provided a lot of evidence, these evidences could not constitute a rigorous mathematical proof and could only be regarded as an auxiliary verification."

"Then I tried the Schwinger-Dyson equations. By analyzing these equations, if I could find a non-zero solution to the gluon self-energy function, this would indirectly prove the existence of the mass gap. But although I found some solutions, they were too complicated to be directly converted into mathematical proofs."

"Then there is the renormalization group method, which analyzes the behavior of Yang-Mills theory at different energy scales... This is a good direction. The renormalization group flow shows a non-perturbative fixed point, suggesting that there may be a mass gap. Unfortunately... this thing may be more difficult than finding an analytical solution to the NS equations."

Xiao Yi sighed.

“Then there is the use of AdS/CFT duality to understand the non-perturbative nature of Yang-Mills theory through the duality between conformal field theory and anti-de Sitter space, but again, this is too complicated.”

He knocked his head. The above four points were the four angles he had tried during this period of time. Although he had made some breakthroughs, he was completely stuck at some point.

"Perhaps, only if the BUFF is upgraded to level 5, will I have a chance to solve these problems that are blocking me, right?"

He shook his head helplessly.

Just at this moment, there was a knock on the dormitory door.

He went to open the door in confusion, and then saw Academician Pang Cheng from the Institute of Physics walk in, followed by several people from the research group.

"Teacher Pang, Senior Brother Xu, Junior Brother Cai? Why are you here?"

He has now changed his address to Teacher Pang Cheng because he is now a doctoral student at the Institute of Physics. After all, it was the Institute of Mathematics and the Institute of Physics that had agreed to allow him to become a graduate student at both institutes.

And Pang Cheng is his doctoral supervisor in physics.

When Academician Tang Yifang of the Institute of High Energy Physics learned about it, he blamed him for not telling him about such an important matter earlier and for not choosing their Institute of High Energy Physics.

Xiao Yi had no choice. After all, his current dormitory was so close to the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Mathematics, so it would be more convenient for this Ph.D. in physics to stay in the Institute of Physics.

Pang Cheng smiled and said, "Of course there is good news. Our research project has been completed and we have also submitted it to Nature. We can wait for good news."

"Oh!" Xiao Yi raised his eyebrows: "It is indeed good news."

After all, he is also one of the co-authors of this project.

Pang Cheng did not get the title of first author, but was the corresponding author.

Just at this moment, there was another knock on the door.

Then I saw that it was Academician Xi Lan who came.

When he saw Pang Cheng, he immediately widened his eyes and said, "Pang Cheng, what are you doing here?"

Pang Cheng narrowed his eyes and said, "Don't you know that I am Xiao Yi's mentor? Isn't it normal for me to come to my student's place?"

Xi Lan clenched her fists immediately.

With a cold snort, he pushed Pang Cheng aside, then smiled at Xiao Yi again and said, "Xiao Yi, I'm here to give you something."

Then, he took out an envelope and handed it to Xiao Yi, "Open it and take a look."

Xiao Yi took the envelope doubtfully, and when he opened it, he was stunned.

"Invitation letter to the National Science and Technology Awards Conference?"

(End of this chapter)