Research starts with PhD students

Chapter 42: Learn good things, don’t learn bad things!

Institute of High Energy Physics, Information Room on the 5th Floor of the Computing Center.

Cao Mengbo, director of the Computing Center, is sorting out image data. Each image is covered with densely packed small dots.

When several images are combined together, they become an explosion picture of a particle collision experiment.

These are the results of the center anchor point connection algorithm analyzing the experimental data.

Cao Mengbo was sorting out the information and chatting with Cui Kaiwen, "These will become the blockbuster at the CHEP meeting!"

"International organizations are paying attention to our research. We also want to let them know what kind of picture the comparative analysis of experiments and simulations will show."

Cui Kaiwen nodded and said, "In the past, we always learned from them, now it's their turn to learn from us."

"As far as I know, James Bob, the head of data at Fermilab, is considering setting up a team to study algorithms and has discussed research issues with others."

"In this regard, we already have a first-mover advantage. We will definitely be the first to develop an analysis algorithm for the Large Hadron Collider. By then, they will still have to learn from us."

"One step ahead, one step ahead, that's how it is in Europe..."

Cao Mengbo smiled and shook his head, "That's not necessarily true."

"Oh?"

Cui Kevin didn't understand.

Cao Mengbo laughed and said, "Don't you know what happened this morning? At the Physics Center, Bao Hexing confronted Academician Tan because of the algorithm project."

"He turned hostile on the spot. I heard that he almost pointed at Academician Tan and cursed him."

"What's going on?" Cui Kevin was immediately curious.

"I'm not so sure either."

Cao Mengbo was shaking his head and was about to say something when he saw Bao Hexing pushing the door and walking in.

"What do you call this? Speak of the devil and he will appear!"

Cao Mengbo turned his head and looked at Bao Hexing, "We were just talking about you. You are really amazing. You dare to compete with Academician Tan in the Physics Center."

Bao Hexing was in a bad mood. After entering the room, he complained, "He is just talking nonsense. He criticized us for being slow in budgeting? Of course we want to speed up, too."

"Liao Zhenyu, Liu Ye and I worked for half a month straight. We literally worked as soon as we woke up. He took it for granted and held a meeting to urge us to make progress, and criticized us!"

“I feel like he’s targeting me!”

Bao Hexing said dissatisfiedly, "Director Cao, tell me, this project is from our computing center. Are Liu Ye, Liao Zhenyu, and I on the same level within the project?"

“As a result, during the meeting, he got mad at me!”

"Maybe they just saw that I'm not from the Physics Center. Next time you call me for a meeting, I won't go!"

Cao Mengbo smiled and shook his head, advising, "Don't take it to heart. We are the computing center, and he is the experimental physics center. We are not in the same system."

"Academician Tan is also concerned about the project. Who made him responsible for the Science and Technology Planning Department?"

After he finished speaking, he asked, "Let's talk about the project. I'm not really sure what specific problems you encountered."

Bao Hexing explained it carefully.

Cao Mengbo asked, "So, the difficulty lies in the complex logic of the algorithm itself, right? Because this kind of logic is too complicated, you all think it will take a very long time to complete."

"Liao Zhenyu, Liu Ye."

He frowned and thought, "Especially Liao Zhenyu, his level is very high. Since he made such a judgment..."

Bao Hexing said, "Director Cao, you may not know that whether it is Liao Zhenyu, Liu Ye, or Academician Gao Hongli, they all speak highly of Zhang Shuo."

"The algorithm was developed by Zhang Shuo, so he definitely understands it better than we do. Liu Ye and Liao Zhenyu both believe that they should continue to cooperate with Zhang Shuo."

"I know about this."

Cao Mengbo said, "What Academician Tan said makes sense. The project has been completed, and the other party took a very short time. Now that the principle has been sorted out, it is a bit unreasonable to cooperate with a doctoral student to develop a larger program next."

"We have such a large computing center, with so many excellent talents, including researchers, postdocs, and doctoral students."

After he finished speaking, he pursed his lips and made a decision, "Well, transfer a few more people in."

"After the CHEP meeting is over and I'm done with my work, I'll also study it with you guys. Let's brainstorm and see if there is a solution."

"If it doesn't work, it's okay to continue cooperating with Zhang Shuo."

At this time, assistant Xiao Zhang brought a printed form, "Director Cao, list of personnel from cooperating universities."

Cao Mengbo didn't care, "Put it here."

Cui Kaiwen picked up the list and took a look at it. He was immediately confused and asked, "Why are there two people from Sudong University? In this bracket... Zhang Shuo?"

Xiao Zhang explained, "I asked, and the CHEP conference invited Zhang Shuo to give a 45-minute report, and Soochow University said that he would go with our team."

As he spoke, he noticed that Director Cao, Deputy Director Bao, and Professor Cui all looked a little strange, and immediately asked in confusion, "Is it not possible? It's always like this."

"The high-energy physics conference will be attended by invited domestic scholars together with our team..."

"Of course."

Cao Mengbo's smile was a little stiff, "Xiao Zhang, you go out first."

Xiao Zhang went out with doubts.

Cao Mengbo smiled bitterly. "This is embarrassing. We used someone else's algorithm to analyze the experimental results and presented them as core results at the conference."

"Will he think that our computing center has no other achievements to show for itself?"

Cui Kaiwen thought for a moment and asked, "Do we have any greater achievements than this?" "Really not!"

Cao Mengbo, Bao Hexing, and Cui Kaiwen all laughed bitterly.

……

Soo Dong University.

Despite enthusiastic persuasion from a lot of people around him, Zhang Shuo decided to attend the CHEP meeting.

Then, I started to get busy.

Prepare materials, ask the school to issue a report, and submit a visa application.

The school has already communicated with the Institute of High Energy Physics. Zhang Shuo and Gao Xiaohong will go with the team of the Institute of High Energy Physics, and the Institute of High Energy Physics will be responsible for the air tickets and hotel.

This saves a lot of energy.

After Zhang Shuo finished dealing with visa issues, he returned to the dormitory and was peppered with questions from his classmates. Publishing papers in top physics journals and attending international academic conferences seemed like a long way off from becoming a doctoral student.

He quickly became a 'star' among doctoral students in the Department of Mathematics.

Celebrities are a bit irritable.

He simply went to the computer room to find some peace and quiet. The environment in the computer room was indeed good, and there were only Sun Xingli and Luo Yongjun there for a long time.

Sometimes, when soldier Luo Yong was not there, it would just be Sun Xingli.

While Zhang Shuo and Sun Xingli were bragging and chatting together, they also learned about each other's research direction - the Jebov conjecture.

This is a very puzzling research direction.

The content of the Jebov conjecture is very simple, which is to prove that there must be a prime number between n and (n+1).

This seemingly very simple problem has puzzled mathematicians for more than a hundred years.

Zhang Shuo sighed, "I finally understand why you always play games or do other things. This kind of problem may not make any progress even if you think about it for a year."

"If you can complete this research, you will definitely be regarded as one of the most famous and talented mathematicians in the world."

“I never thought about finishing it.”

Sun Xingbo said indifferently, "It's just research in this direction. In the process of studying a difficult problem, many discoveries can be made."

"Right."

Zhang Shuo agreed with this statement.

As they were talking, Gao Xiaohong walked in from outside, followed by two people.

One is Yao Song from the School of Mathematics, who is the deputy director of administration who has conflicts with Luo Yongjun.

The other was a middle-aged man with a square face.

Gao Xiaohong came over and introduced, "This is Professor Qiu Zhichao from the Institute of Quantum Research."

"You need to give a presentation at the CHEP conference. Professor Qiu has experience!"

Yao Song interjected, "I went to look for it."

"Thank you, Director Yao."

Zhang Shuo smiled gently to express his gratitude.

Yao Song smiled and waved his hand, standing aside. "As you should, you are bringing honor to the school by giving a report at the CHEP conference!"

He looked around and just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he noticed the figure he least wanted to see.

Luo Yongjun is back.

Luo Yongjun saw Yao Song curl his lips, then walked to Gao Xiaohong and asked in a low voice, "What's going on?"

"Professor Qiu is here to tell Zhang Shuo about his experience in reporting."

"Do we need a professor from your physics department to tell us?" Luo Yongjun patted his chest and said confidently, "I have experience too!"

Gao Xiaohong was immediately puzzled. "Teacher Luo, have you ever given a presentation at an international conference?"

"Uh~~"

Luo Yongjun was slightly embarrassed. "I have also participated in academic conferences and given reports."

“They are all from China, right?”

Gao Xiaohong said, "Zhang Shuo is going to give a report at CHEP, and it needs to be in English."

"When the time comes, with so many big names on the scene, how will I deal with questions and interruptions when I'm giving a report? These are all problems."

Luo Yongjun pursed his lips and nodded unwillingly, "Okay, what you said makes sense."

"However, I have more confidence in Zhang Shuo than in myself!"

Gao Xiaohong nodded in agreement, "I feel the same way. I have much more confidence in Zhang Shuo than in you."

Yao Song couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Luo Yongjun turned his head and looked at him, then angrily asked, "Why are you like Zhang Shuo, always stabbing people in the ribs when you talk?"

"Learn good things, don't learn bad things!"

(End of this chapter)