Great Country Academician

As the second supplementary report session came to a successful conclusion, the first International Conference on High Energy Physics also came to a successful conclusion.

Two different methods for solving the Yang-Mills equation. Even top journals such as Nature and Science, which rarely pay attention to the field of mathematics, cut off some pictures from the report on the solution of the Yang-Mills equation. to its own official website and journals.

Speaking of this, academic journals actually have a rather strange phenomenon.

That is, mathematics journals are often organized into a separate system.

It's not like other subject areas where a lot of times it's mixed together.

Just like "Nature", a well-known comprehensive magazine in academic circles, it has various sub-journals in physics, chemistry, biology, geography, energy, medicine, etc., but it does not have a mathematics sub-journal.

That's right, "Nature" does not have a mathematics sub-journal classification, and it does not include mathematics.

As for the reason, some people believe that mathematics is the foundation of all sciences, including natural sciences, so mathematics should be before Nature, not after.

Some people think that "Nature" is more about bragging, promoting science and business operations, and is not a real professional magazine.

There are many opinions, but for a magazine that is aimed at scholars and even ordinary people, there is actually a saying that is very good.

“For every mathematical formula you add, you lose half your audience.”

After all, for most ordinary people, mathematics is too boring.

As the report meeting ended, some media reporters who continued to pay attention to this high-energy physics conference also found some mathematicians or physicists who had returned for interviews.

Just like William Timothy Gowers, this mathematician with an aristocratic temperament who never sets on the sun, he was caught by media reporters in the airport lobby as soon as he got off the plane.

Reporter: "Professor Gowers, I heard that you went to China to participate in a high-energy physics conference held in China. Why would a mathematician like you choose to attend a physics conference?"

Gowers smiled and said: "Because this lecture is worth my trip. The solution to the Yang-Mills equation is not only a major achievement in physics, but also an outstanding achievement in the field of mathematics."

Reporter: “How would you evaluate this high energy physics conference?”

Gowers smiled and said: "From the perspective of a mathematician, it doesn't make much sense to evaluate a physics conference. You should ask a physicist about this question."

“But from my personal point of view, this is undoubtedly a very exciting conference. Whether it is from the perspective of academic exchange reports, China’s warm hospitality, and the emphasis on exchange meetings, it can be said to be top-notch. "

Reporter: "I heard that at this report meeting, a representative of Oxford University personally apologized to Professor Xu. It is rumored that Professor Xu used his academic influence to force Oxford University to apologize. Are you How did you see this?"

"Is Professor Xu too concerned about his academic reputation and intolerant of any remarks that go against him?"

Hearing this question, the smile on Gowers's face disappeared immediately. He looked at the reporter seriously and said: "First of all, Oxford University's apology, in my opinion, is deserved and necessary. .”

"Of course, this is also a voluntary apology from Oxford University. Professor Xu has never used his academic influence to force Oxford University to apologize, or even had such thoughts."

"Secondly, maintaining a good reputation is what any scholar should do, because a good academic reputation regulates the scholar's research behavior and also encourages a scholar to walk on the right path."

"If a scholar cannot even maintain his own academic reputation and allows other people with bad character to slander him, this will be the greatest tragedy in the academic world and in the world."

After a pause, he continued: "Furthermore, if even a world-famous problem such as the solution of the Yang-Mills equation cannot be called valuable, I think there is nothing in this world that can be called valuable. Researched."

The International High Energy Physics Conference came to a successful conclusion, and Xu Chuan also submitted the second paper on solving the Yang-Mills equation to the "Annals of Mathematics".

Without any surprise, this paper quickly passed the review of the technical editor and directly entered the peer review stage.

Camilo de Leilis, the editor-in-chief of the Annals of Mathematics, personally responded to him by email, saying that he would find mathematicians as quickly as possible for peer review, and that after the paper passed the review, he would contact the first The solution was published together in the Annual Journal of Mathematics.

Xu Chuan didn’t pay much attention to Editor-in-Chief Camilo de Leilis’s reply.

To be honest, some people have talked to him about thesis submission in the past two years, especially the leaders of NTU, who advocated that he could establish an academic journal.

Xu Chuan also seriously considered setting up his own journal for a while, but finally gave up.

The main reason is that he doesn't have the time or energy to do this kind of thing now.

Establishing an academic journal requires no less time and energy than conducting scientific research, or even more.

Because there are matters related to the review of submitted papers, whether it is self-review or peer review, which requires extremely large connections, academic abilities, etc.

Although Nanda said they could help with some of it, to be honest, it was better for him to leave this matter to others than to do it. There were problems with the journal review, which was absolutely intolerable given his personality.

As for submitting papers to domestic mathematics journals, Xu Chuan just wanted to say that in terms of the negative effects of moisture and black matter in domestic journals, it would be fair to give them top-notch papers like the solution proof of the Yang-Mills equation. They forgot about it, it was too hurtful to say it.

Although many people in China are working hard for this and hope to make the academic environment better, including himself.

But it is undeniable that there are still many problems in domestic academic circles.

It’s not just the paper-only theory, the qualifications-only theory, the poor conversion rate of academic research results, the poor conversion rate of funds into scientific research results, there are many other various problems.

Perhaps with his current status, if he gets involved in this kind of thing, he may be able to hope to slowly reverse these things. Of course, it is also possible that he may not be able to do it.

But no matter what, in his opinion, it cannot be said that the golden time currently spent on academic research is wasted. It can only be said that it is a pity to waste it on this.

At least, before the age of forty, he hoped that he could make more academic breakthroughs.

Of course, it's not like he didn't do anything about these things.

Just like the Xinghai Research Institute transformed from the Qixia Controlled Nuclear Fusion Project, there, under his control, evaluation is no longer purely based on the number of papers, there is no bureaucracy, and there are almost no hidden rules in academia, etc. etc., has now become a research institution that domestic scholars dream of entering.

However, relatively speaking, the pressure and work intensity faced by working and researching in Xinghai Research Institute is much greater than that of ordinary research institutes.

When I'm busy, it's common to stay up until eleven or twelve in the morning every day. When I'm busy, it's normal to even have to lay the floor in the laboratory.

But for low- and mid-level researchers, it's worth it.

Not only because the results they have made and what they can get belong to them, but also because here they can see the hope that their dreams will be realized.

For Xu Chuan, this is also some of the changes he is making for the development of the domestic academic environment.

Although it is not big yet, at least certain changes have been made within a limited scope.

Hopefully this is a spark that can start a prairie fire over time.

PS: There will be another chapter later, but I’m not sure about the time. You can read it when you get up in the morning. Please vote for me!