Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 94: It’s good to have a cheat (6K)

In fact, Lin Ran's words were extremely arrogant, with a hint of omnipotence.

If you are stumped by others, it won't affect your reputation, but at least it means that your glory in this world has faded.

Just like when Shing-Tung Yau went to give a lecture in an elementary school and was stumped by the elementary school math problems, adults would not think that he was unworthy of the title, but the elementary school students would think that this was what a math master was like?

"Professor, I am very interested in your theory of linear logarithms and believe that it can be widely applied to Diophantine problems. I think it can be particularly useful in two types of problems: class number problems and Model equations.

I would like to hear your opinion.”

The speaker was Alan Baker, who was then studying for his doctorate with Harold Davenport at the University of London.

The linear form logarithm theory proposed by Lin Ran was originally to be discovered and proved by Alan Baker, for which he won the Fields Medal in 1970.

Although Alan Baker is no longer able to repeatedly prove the linear form logarithm theory, his high intuitive fit with this theory still allows him to ask very valuable questions.

After hearing this, Lin Ran was glad that he had hardly rested for a moment after obtaining the door. He was always taking lessons, reading, thinking and working. If it were not for this, he really would not be able to make such arrogant remarks.

If it were Lin Ran before he got the door, he probably wouldn't even know what the classification problem was. Lin Ran felt relieved and replied:

"The number-like problem is not a typical Diophantine problem because it involves understanding integer solutions to equations related to number field units and ideals, so we can think of it as a generalized Diophantine problem.

In my opinion, if we use linear logarithmic theory for this type of problem, it may be more effective to narrow the scope. For example, I only focus on the imaginary two-number field with all class numbers of 1 to prove that such an imaginary two-number field is finite.

In addition, I think the Model equation you mentioned is more interesting because the lower bound can limit the possible values ​​of x and y, so the solutions of the Model equation can be systematically enumerated.

I personally think it actually reflects the application of transcendental number theory tools in algebraic geometry, and in a sense, it also reflects the connection between number theory and geometry. "

The subtext that Lin Ran did not finish saying was that this indirectly proved the correctness of Randolph's program.

After the academic seminar, Lin Ran returned to Winfield Manor to rest. This is also the official residence of the American Ambassador to England. Because of its large area, second only to Buckingham Palace in London, generally both the president and senior bureaucrats will stay here instead of a hotel.

When Lin Ran left, he thought in the car, if Winfield Manor was infiltrated by the Russians again and Korolev was waiting for him at Winfield Manor, it would be better to just surrender directly instead of competing.

In Professor Harold's office at the University of London, Alan Baker was still chattering about the inspiration he had gained today:
"Sure enough, linear formal logarithm theory is revolutionary in the field of computational number theory, and it can be applied to a wide range of problems."

Harold wiped his black-framed glasses with the handkerchief in his suit pocket, then put them on and asked his students, "Professor Lin once mentioned birds and frogs. Do you know what they were referring to?"

"The bird knows the way, the frog digs into the details," said Allen Baker.

Because Lin Ran has continuously produced top-notch results, the Randolph Program he proposed has been recognized by more and more mathematicians.

Including some research done around it, all indirectly prove the feasibility of this set of guidelines.

In the fairy tale world, this is equivalent to Lin Ran's foundation for enlightenment. Once the Randolph Program is confirmed, he will be able to become an immortal on the spot.

Therefore, the more recognized the Randolph Program is, the higher Lin Ran's status in the mathematics community will be.

Even though the theory of birds and frogs was proposed by Lin Ran in a Chinese newspaper, it was translated into English and widely circulated in the mathematics community.

"Do you think Randolph is a frog or a bird?" Harold asked.

Allen Baker said without hesitation: "Of course it's the bird.

If the birds point the way, then Professor Lin has drawn the largest map ever created in the world of mathematics.

Some pathfinders have now proven that his maps are useful.”

Harold said, "Then the direction he points you in is very valuable."

"Director Lin, what happened just now at the University of London?" It was not until that evening that George Tross, who was in charge of security, realized that something was wrong.

To be precise, it was a certain ia and mi who realized that something was wrong.

Because when they sent the report back to their home country at night, they found that there was a one-hour gap in Lin Ran's time.

Lin Ran knew that the best answer was to selectively answer the facts.

And he is not worried about what America will do to him. At this point in time, he is indispensable to America and NASA.

"Yes, I met with a man named Korolev from the Soviet side.

He said he was the chief designer, yes, the chief designer in charge of Soviet spaceflight, as you know him."

George Tross's face turned green.

Because this means that his security work is no different from shit, and he will definitely be held accountable when he returns.

"Director, why didn't you tell me at the time?" George Tross tried to make amends.

Lin Ran narrowed his eyes slightly and stared into his eyes: "George, even when I was at the University of London, Korolev was able to get a chance to fight me one-on-one.

What if I told you that they attacked me?
How can you guarantee that we will be safe from danger at the University of London?"

But for America, the worst thing was not this, but that they found out that night, the news was reported back to their homeland the next day, and on the third day, newspapers in England were reporting everywhere that America could not even protect its own scientists.

America also began nuclear testing.

When this scandal broke out in the US, the entire European media, from London to Paris to Berlin, were as excited as if they had found a gun:
"London's security is full of loopholes, and the chief designer faces a mathematical master." This is the title of an article that mocks America's weak security and London is full of KGB.

"Randolph put enormous pressure on the Soviet Union, and the Soviet Union tried to solve the problem through assassination." This was reported in a London newspaper that supported America.

It was to express the Soviet Union's unscrupulousness and its impatience, which led to its disadvantage in the space race.

The intelligence agencies were already anxious enough, and then the news was exposed, which once again confirmed the fact that London is a sieve.

The entire IA and MI were in a state of panic, trying to figure out which link had gone wrong and how many Soviet personnel were inside London.

Lin Ran, who lived in Wingfield Manor, didn't feel the tense atmosphere in London at all because he was on the phone to Siegel.

This trip to England was initially arranged to include an academic lecture in Göttingen.

After all, this is his "alma mater". He can't go to the University of London and not go to Göttingen.

In addition, Lin Ran felt embarrassed for mentioning Göttingen so frequently, and thought that any return he could make would be helpful.

"Professor, I'm really sorry. I had to go back to my alma mater this time, but because of this incident, I have to return home as soon as possible." Lin Ran explained.

Siegel expressed full understanding, "I understand, Randolph, safety is the most important thing."

After Siegel hung up the phone, he looked at Doylin, who was sitting opposite him, with a wry smile:
"Because of the recent turmoil and this incident, Randolph can't come to Göttingen this time."

Doylin could fully understand this because the third Berlin crisis was unfolding at that time, the Berlin Wall had been built, and the Soviet Union unilaterally tore up the three-year nuclear test ban agreement and resumed a series of tests.

The situation in Germany was so tense that it was divided into East Germany and West Germany. It was true that Göttingen was in West Germany, but London had been infiltrated, so the safety factor in Göttingen would only be lower.

As a core figure of NASA, it would be strange for Lin Ran to come.

But Doylin couldn't help but complain: "Ah, Professor, alas, if only you hadn't let Randolph run away."

Lin Ran's originally packed schedule now only has one thing left, which is to be interviewed on BBC Major John Freeman's "Face to Face" program.

This flagship celebrity interview program on BBC TV premiered in 1959. Each episode is approximately 30 minutes long and uses a one-on-one interview format. It is hosted by former Labour MP John Freeman.

It became popular all over the world as soon as it was launched.

(Television reached only England, but shortwave radio could reach most of the world, including Africa and Asia, primarily through the BBC World Service, which broadcast in many languages.)
The interview took place in a minimalist studio at the BBC headquarters in London, the overall layout of which was typical of the early 1960s.

The background is a plain dark curtain, highlighting the focus of the dialogue.

Two high-backed chairs faced each other on either side of a small round table, on which lay a glass of water and Freeman's notebook.

The black-and-white broadcast was filmed by a single camera, which switched between the two men, highlighting their expressions and gestures.

The BBC attempted to create a serious, introspective atmosphere through soft lighting.

Lin Ran was wearing a dark suit, sitting upright with his hands on his knees. He looked extremely calm and not at all nervous about being at the center of the news.

"Welcome to Face to Face, Sir Lin. It's an honor to have you here.

You are widely considered the de facto leader of NASA, having led the agency to its first moon landing earlier this year and the first human spaceflight shortly thereafter.

At the same time, you also put down your boast that there is only success and no failure within NASA. How do you view NASA in the past and NASA now? What are the differences and similarities between them? What do you bring? "John Freeman asked.

Similar to Lin Ran, he was also wearing a suit, but he sat slightly forward, more aggressive, with a notebook in his hand to record the questions he wanted to ask.

“NASA has always had a large number of engineers and scientists who are all excellent and outstanding.

The reason for past failures was that these people were not well integrated, there were too many centers, and NASA, as a new agency, was too focused on competing with the Soviet Union instead of being managed as a huge industrial enterprise.

Mr. von Brian is more of a tube rocket.

But aerospace is a systematic project, involving rockets, spacecraft, satellites and even astronauts, it is a complex system.

Before, NASA did not have a manager who understood technology to integrate them together.

"My role is to combine them into one force." Lin Ran explained. John Freeman naturally would not let him go so easily, "Some people say that you are the shadow director of NASA, but the actual director of NASA is James Webb.

Does this mean that you have more power in NASA than Webb, and will there be conflicts between you because of the division of power?

Lin Ran shook his head and said, "Of course not, I'm in charge of technology, and Director Weber is in charge of personnel management.

We are a very good partner and have proven that in the past and will continue to prove that in the future.”

Freeman asked: "In the past, Russia has always been the leader and America has been the follower.

After joining NASA, you expressed your determination to transform from a follower to a leader and proposed the concept of a space station. We all know that the space station was originally a concept in science fiction. Do you think NASA can really achieve this in the short term?

This is another proof that America is a sieve.

The outside world only learned about the Soviet Union's space program after its success, but the American space program has always been widely circulated before its success.

Internal meetings of Washington lawmakers could be reported in the New York Times and the Washington Post the next day.

Lin Ran was very confident. "Didn't you just mention that my life is all about success?"

Freeman laughed: "Yeah, I forgot."

Lin Ran then answered seriously: "Of course, I have great confidence in NASA. NASA has an excellent team of engineers, and I will lead them to achieve this goal.

In theory, it is much simpler than landing on the moon.

In the long term, the space station will be more complex.

The space station needs to operate in space for a long time, and it needs to solve a series of complex sustainability issues, including oxygen supply, water circulation, food storage, energy supply, waste disposal and radiation protection.

Because we want to send human astronauts to the space station.

The lunar mission only requires rocket propulsion, navigation, landing and return.

Of course, there is a certain degree of overlap in technology between the two, but landing on the moon is a one-time mission with relatively concentrated technical requirements and clear goals.

Landing on the moon only requires maintaining life support for a short period of time, while the space station needs to maintain a habitable environment for a long time.

So in comparison, the moon landing mission is a one-time large-scale project. Although it requires huge amounts of money and human resources, its resource requirements are limited and predictable, and there is no need for continued investment once the mission is completed.

But the space station also brings in a lot of benefits."

Regarding the benefits of the space station, it’s the same old trick used to fool Congress.

Freeman nodded repeatedly. "That sounds really great. If I had money, I would also like to travel to the space station. This used to be a dream that could only be realized in science fiction novels."

Lin Ran added: "It is precisely because our goal is not simply to compete with the Soviet Union.

Instead, America needs to continuously push the boundaries of space exploration and propel humanity from the Earth into the universe age. It needs to take on the responsibility of expanding the living space for humanity.

America will shoulder the same responsibilities as Magellan and Columbus in the space age."

Against the backdrop of the Cold War, Lin Ran's bold words moved the audience.

At least for now, after Lin Ran's explanation was broadcast to the world, people all over the world feel that NASA is completely different now than it was in the past.

If a temporary poll could be conducted, NASA's support rate would increase by at least ten percentage points.

John Freeman raised his eyebrows and asked further:
"You mentioned the Space Race. We all know that Korolev met with you in London. This has been the hottest news these days. I'm sure the audience is very curious about what he said to you."

Not only the audience was curious, but John Freeman himself was also curious, and his eyes showed this vividly.

"He invited me to be his successor and asked me if I wanted to be the next chief designer." Lin Ran said with a smile.

John Freeman exclaimed, "Oh!"

While I was surprised, I was secretly happy. At least I didn't have to worry about the listening rate and viewership rate. This news alone was enough to make "Face to Face" far ahead in terms of data.

Although there was no audience calculation method at that time like in later generations, the BBC already had an audience research department responsible for collecting data.

They used the household survey method, which simply means randomly selecting households and asking them about their viewing habits, and the diary method, which requires participants to record the programs they watch every day. These two methods are used to make statistics on viewing rates.

According to a subsequent survey by the BBC, the face-to-face interview with Lin Ran had a viewership of 800 million, second only to last year's Olympic Games coverage, making it the BBC's highest-rated program this year.

"So you accepted it?" Freeman knew it was a stupid question, but he asked it anyway because the audience would surely love it.

Lin Ran replied: “If I had accepted, I would be in Moscow now, not in the BBC studio.

I am now a figure like Korolev in NASA, so why should I go to the Soviet Union to be his successor? "

The best way to deal with this kind of problem is not to deny it, but to use rhetorical questions to guide the audience to think for themselves.

Freeman said: "The Daily Mail believes you have a potential terrorist background and considers you to be a very high risk and is calling on the US to investigate you.

Think you are sent by the red state.

After this incident, the Daily Mail reiterated this view, believing that you will pose a major threat to the free world. What do you think about this?

The Daily Mail at the time focused on nationalism and anti-communist sentiment, and became even more hysterical after the construction of the Berlin Wall.

The fact that Freeman asked this question does not mean that the other party is hostile to him. Asking you in this situation is giving you the opportunity to defend yourself.

This has to do with the context of the times.

At present, the BBC claims to be a neutral public broadcasting organization, but if you are not right enough, you are left.

In addition, the BBC maintains a highly consistent attitude with the left on anti-nuclear, student protests and government welfare.

The Daily Mail, which Freeman mentioned earlier, often criticizes the BBC.

Lin Ran has a good reputation and a high reputation. Because of his identity as a mathematician and his achievement in leading NASA out of the quagmire, he is considered an indispensable figure in the free world's victory in the space race.

It is for this reason that the BBC hopes to use Lin Ran's mouth to criticize the Daily Mail and related conservative media.

Another background is that most BBC employees come from the elite class with higher education, and many of them are influenced by the Fabian Society or similar Progressive socialist ideology.

For example, although there is no direct evidence that John Reith, the first Director-General of the BBC, was a member of the Fabian Society, the educational and social reform ideas he advocated were highly consistent with Fabianism.

Fabian Society members such as Sidney Webb and George Bernard Shaw often expressed their views on the BBC platform through articles or broadcasts.

After listening to this, Lin Ran laughed and said, "If leading NASA to achieve the moon landing and manned space flight is a major threat to the free world, then what is the problem with NASA causing rocket explosions on its own?
Or is it to deal a severe blow to the hearts of the people of the free world during the live broadcast?
Neither the White House nor Washington has questioned me, so what evidence does a newspaper in London have?

A newspaper that lives on conjecture and fantasy."

Freeman laughed heartily, and with Lin Ran's words, the news spread to the streets of England, and the Daily Mail's identity was confirmed as a rumor-mongering tabloid.

Of course, if one day it is confirmed that Lin Ran’s identity is related to the Soviet Union, that would be another matter.

But what does this have to do with the BBC? It wasn't the BBC that said this.

And if that day really comes, Buckingham Palace will be the first to be embarrassed.

Because Buckingham Palace gave Lin Ran a medal and the status of baron.

"Sir Lin's answer was brilliant, worthy of the name Lin who frequently comes up with golden sentences.

"Sir Lin, weren't you afraid at the time? What if Korolev or the KGB attacked you?" Freeman asked.

Lin Ran thought for a moment, then suddenly turned to the camera:
"I'm not afraid, because that would prove that the Soviet Union has completely lost the Cold War.

The Soviet Union and America are trying to prove which social form is better for mankind.

The space race means who can lead mankind into space and who can help mankind expand the boundaries of survival.

If the Soviet Union relies on assassination to win this competition, it not only shows that they have no confidence in themselves, but also shows that their form is based on despicable means.

Without Randolph, there will be other geniuses to lead the free world forward.

So I wasn't worried at all at the time. I used my death to prove to humanity that the Soviet Union's path was not feasible. I felt my death was of immeasurable value."

In fact, it was because Lin Ran was fully confident that he would not die.

At that time, he observed that Korolev had no gun on him, and the Soviets were guarding the door, so he kept his ears open to the movements of people outside.

Once the other party took out something, Lin Ran was absolutely sure that he could use the power of "door" to escape before the other party came in.

There is no way, with the help of cheats, you can answer in such a high-sounding way.

This answer moved even a seasoned veteran like Freeman, who saluted Lin Ran in the studio using the English Army's hand gesture:
"Sir, your answer is excellent. I salute you on behalf of the free world."

Freeman was previously a major in the Army.

"Sir Lin, what do you think of the Soviet Union's actions in Berlin? Are you worried about the risk of a nuclear war breaking out in the human world?"

(End of this chapter)