Chapter 1007 - Books Are More Famous Than Theses
Chapter 1007 Books Are More Famous Than Theses
Main lobby of the Corinthia Hotel hotel.
Professor Fefferman handed his passport to the check-in desk. He then looked at the hotel entrance and spoke casually.
“The security here seems a bit unusual… Is there something else going on, other than the conference?”
“No, sir.” The hotel staff handed the passport back to Professor Fefferman and said, “The most important conference happening this month is the International Congress of Mathematicians. The Corinthia Hotel will maintain the highest level of security during the conference, we wish you a pleasant stay.”
“… Oh, I see, thanks.”
Professor Fefferman put away his passport and smiled. He then looked at Professor Deligne, who was standing next to him.
“He’s really here! I told you, he would never miss such an important conference!”
Professor Fefferman spoke with a tone of excitement. It was like he was watching the finals of the football world cup, and he said, “I wonder where his research is at, I’m looking forward to it!”
Professor Deligne looked at his old friend with a poker face as he sighed and spoke.
“You haven’t seen his thesis on the website?”
Fefferman: “I saw it, why?”
Deligne; “Then why would you have such high expectations? If he had produced any new research, he would have published it online.”
Fefferman: “My intuition tells me that he’s hiding things behind the scenes.”
Professor Deligne raised his eyebrows.
“So you know him very well then?”
Deligne spoke with a hint of sarcasm. It was the classic Princeton professor’s ego.
However, Professor Fefferman didn’t seem to care about his old friend’s personality, he nodded and smiled.
“Of course, we’ve worked together before, I know him quite well.”
Deligne heard his old friend and smiled.
“Then you’re probably in over your head. I’ve been paying attention to all of the papers he’s published this year. the Quasi Riemann hypothesis and the hyperelliptic curve analysis method are all he has been researching. He even went to research economics with that old Krugman guy, it’s called the L-Z model or something..”
Normally speaking, the research area of a scholar could easily be traced by their thesis publication.
The Sullivan Conjecture in differential topology, as well as the L-Z model in economics, had nothing to do with the Riemann zeta function at all.
Professor Deligne thought that Lu Zhou probably had given up on Riemann’s hypothesis.
To be honest, Deligne was quite disappointed.
He wasn’t disappointed at Lu Zhou, after all, Lu Zhou had achieved quite a bit in the past year.
However, for a scholar like Lu Zhou, the only way to further extend his academic achievements was to solve the crown of mathematics, a proposition that had plagued scholars from all over the world.
Therefore, Professor Deligne felt it was unfortunate that Lu Zhou had given up after trying for so long.
If even Lu Zhou couldn’t solve the conjecture, maybe no one in this century would be able to solve it…
Professor Fefferman noticed Professor Deligne’s emotions, so he smiled and casually spoke.
“I think you worry too much.”
Professor Deligne spoke in disbelief.
“Oh, really? Do you know what I’m worried about?”
Fefferman: “Of course I know. After all, we’re old friends. You’re always so confident in your analysis, but you have to admit that sometimes you get tunnel vision.”
“You’re saying I’m getting tunnel vision?”
“Yes, especially the way you look at problems. Have you not thought about the possibility that he might have discovered something new about the proposition? That is a possibility.”
Professor Deligne said, “But it’s unlikely. I’ve carefully studied his theses. When it comes to the mathematics side, the methods he used weren’t related to the Riemann zeta function at all. There wasn’t any additive or progressive relationship in his theses.”
Professor Fefferman: “Maybe we’re not seeing the matrix… But anyway, do you want to make a bet then?”
Professor Deligne frowned and said, “Bet on what?”
Professor Fefferman smiled confidently and said, “I bet that his research is far more than his theses, and he hasn’t given up on the Riemann hypothesis.
“Otherwise…
“He wouldn’t be the one doing the last hour report of the conference.”
…
While the two old men were arguing on whether or not Lu Zhou was still researching Riemann’s hypothesis, Lu Zhou and Schultz were sitting in a taxi, heading toward the suburbs of St. Petersburg. They happened to talk about Riemann’s hypothesis.
“… You haven’t made any progress over the past six months?”
“Not just six months, maybe more than that.” Lu Zhou had a helpless expression on his face as he shook his head and said, “I’ve tried to improve on the hyperelliptic curve analysis, I also tried to use the Group Structure Method, but to no avail. I’m almost starting to think that maybe Riemann’s hypothesis is true, but it can’t be proved.”
“You’re not the only one who thinks that way, but I think you should keep your head up.” Schultz patted Lu Zhou on the shoulder and said, “At least you were able to create a beautiful tool that is the hyperelliptic curve analysis and even proved the Quasi Riemann hypothesis. You did well.”
“But that doesn’t mean anything to me.” Lu Zhou sighed and said, “I’m sure you understand what I feel.”
Schultz: “No, I don’t.”
Lu Zhou: “…?”
After nearly a forty-minute drive, the taxi finally arrived in the suburbs of St. Petersburg. The tall concrete buildings turned into historic small houses.
According to the taxi driver, this was a famous place for mathematics. The Steklov Mathematical Institute used to be here, and a famous mathematician that rejected a Fields Medal also lived nearby.
On the other hand, nearby was also where the protagonists in Dostoevsky’s novel “White Night” met.
Schultz and Lu Zhou got out of the taxi in a residential area.
Most of the houses here were apartment buildings, mostly filled with young people. However, young people generally didn’t like to live far out in the suburbs.
Wang Peng was walking behind Lu Zhou and Schultz when he suddenly spoke.
“… We just went in a circle.”
Schultz smiled and stopped. He scratched his head and spoke.
“Actually, the last time I came here was a long time ago, and these buildings all look the same. I have no idea where I am…” Schultz awkwardly coughed and said, “I should ask someone.”
Schultz went on Google and found a photo of Perelman.
This was one of the advantages of being handsome, most people were happy to help Schlutz.
As for looking like a hobo…
There were advantages as well.
Most people wouldn’t disturb someone that looked homeless.
“Excuse me, do you know this person?”
The Russian girl’s smile disappeared when she saw the photo in Schultz’s phone. She paused for a second and spoke.
“Who is this? A terrorist? Or an artist?”
Her look of disgust made sense, after all, the man in the photo didn’t exactly look like a model.
His beard was untrimmed, his hair was messy. Even though Schultz and Perelman had similar facial structures, they looked completely different.
It was like how a musician looked great with ripped clothing, but a hobo did not.
Schultz sighed and said, “My apologies, I’ll ask someone else.”
The Russian lady smiled and said, “Well, good luck, but I think you should give up. I’ve lived here for two years, and I’ve never seen such a person.”
After asking around, no one was able to recognize Perelman.
Occasionally some people had heard of the mathematician, but none of them knew that the mathematician lived in their neighborhood.
There was no doubt that Perelman lived here.
Lu Zhou began to doubt if Perelman had relocated. Finally, an old man recognized the photo. He rubbed his chin and spoke.
“I know him, he used to work at the Steklov Institute of Mathematics, he’s a famous mathematician…”
Lu Zhou immediately asked, “When was that?”
The old man said, “Around ten years ago, I was still a security guard at the Steklov Institute of Mathematics. I used to see him going to work in baggy jeans and a shirt. He’s one of the weirdest guys at the institute.”
Lu Zhou: “…”
Ten years ago…
I was still in high school back then.
That was a long time ago.
Schultz asked, “Do you know where he lives?”
“If he hasn’t moved out yet, then he probably lives over there,” the old man said as he pointed. He said, “I only know which building, but I don’t know which specific apartment. You should ask his neighbors.”
Lu Zhou and Schultz sighed.
“Thanks for helping us!”
After that, Schultz, Lu Zhou, and Wang Peng walked toward the building.
They soon arrived at the apartment building. Lu Zhou and Schultz happened to see two people standing at the apartment building entrance.
Coincidentally, Lu Zhou recognized one of them.
It was Professor Krugman, the professor he met in Shanghai…
The two obviously didn’t recognize them. They were standing in front of the apartment building entrance, chatting with one another.
“I wonder if we’re at the right place,” Albert muttered. “Does this look correct?”
“It’s correct, the Secretary-General of the ICM sent me this address,” Krugman said as he looked at the letter in his hand. He said, “We’re at the right place.”
Albert asked, “But what if he doesn’t open the door for us? If he doesn’t answer the door, we won’t even know if it’s him.”
Krugman: “You don’t know him. Even though he looks unapproachable, as long as you ask him mathematics questions, he will patiently answer you.”
Albert said, “You’ve interacted with him before?”
“No, but I know a beautiful woman who used to work at the Steklov Institute of Mathematics. She told me that,” Krugman said. “Listen, my friend, we can’t be discouraged. We need this.”
Albert sighed and said, “Actually, I’m more inclined on working with Professor Lu. His Lu-Bewley model and L-Z model are works of art. His analysis of macroeconomics is exactly my area of research!”
“Forget about it. I would want to work with Faltings if I could, but do you think that’s going to happen? I met Lu Zhou at the beginning of the year, and he’s more stubborn than some of those old folks in Princeton, not to mention—”
While Krugman was complaining to his friend, he heard a familiar voice.
“Did someone mention my name?”
The two people chatting were startled.
Especially Krugman, it was like he had just seen a ghost.
“Jesus Christ, where did you come from?”
“I’m here to attend the ICM.” Lu Zhou looked at Schultz and said, “This guy invited me to see his old friend, so I came along.”
Krugman looked at Schultz and didn’t recognize him. He frowned and spoke.
“You are…”
“Schultz,” Schultz said as he reached out his hand. He smiled and said, “Nice to meet you too.”
“… Krugman, Princeton economics professor. This is Albert László Barabási, a physicist whose books are more famous than his theses.”
“Wait a second, what does that suppose to mean? Old man, don’t—”
Professor Krugman ignored Albert and looked at Schultz as he said, “You know Perelman?”
Schultz shrugged and said, “I think we’re friends, but… I don’t know if he agrees.”
“What are you guys doing here? Partying?”
The sudden voice interrupted Schultz.
A tall man in jeans and a shirt was walking on the sidewalk. He was carrying plastic bags full of groceries.
His unkempt appearance made him blend into the environment.
Professor Krugman immediately smiled and extended his hand.
“Hello, Professor Perelman… I am Professor Krugman, we spoke through email.”
“I’m not a professor anymore,” Perelman muttered and suddenly his eyes fixated on Lu Zhou.
After a while, he spoke.
“You’re Lu Zhou?”
“I am indeed.” Lu Zhou nodded and said, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.” Perelman wanted to shake hands with him, but he was carrying groceries.
“… Let’s talk inside, you guys are blocking the entrance.”
Before Schultz and Lu Zhou could speak, Krugman quickly spoke.
“Sure thing, I think we should head inside.”
Perelman ignored Professor Krugman and stared at Wang Peng for a while.
“You don’t look like a scholar.”
He didn’t sound welcoming.
Wang Peng nodded and briefly explained his role. However, he was interrupted by Lu Zhou.
“Just wait here, we’ll come down soon.”
Wang Peng hesitated for a bit before he looked at Perelman and nodded.
“Okay.
“Remember to call me if anything happens.”
By call, he obviously didn’t mean dialing a phone number. He meant for Lu Zhou to activate the alarm trigger on his mobile phone.
Lu Zhou looked at Wang Peng and patted his shoulder.
“It’s fine.
“We’ll be down in a jiff.”
After that, the group of people went upstairs, leaving Wang Peng behind.