Time Travel: 2014

Liu/Jong/Lang is an internationally renowned computer scientist.

This person has made outstanding contributions to the fields of real-time systems, computer-aided design, combinatorial optimization, and discrete mathematics.

Liu Jiong’s professional contribution is only one aspect.

His unknown contribution lies in the fact that he cultivated countless talented people throughout his life, and he has students all over the world.

Professor Yao received his PhD in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 1975, and his doctoral thesis was supervised by Professor Liu Jiong/Lang.

When He Tianchang was at the California Institute of Technology, his doctoral supervisor was Professor Coleman Holshis, who was also one of Liu Jiong/Lang's disciples.

If we strictly follow the academic inheritance, Professor Yao can be regarded as He's "uncle" to a certain extent.

Of course, He Tianchang didn't dare to call Professor Yao uncle.

Although Professor Yao is very qualified and experienced, Professor Yao himself has never regarded himself as a senior.

Moreover, Professor Yao not only does not regard himself as a senior, but also resents the practice of ranking based on seniority.

Not only did he never put on airs about underachieving scholars, but he also did not regard himself as a senior even when facing an ordinary student, Professor Yao.

Not only does he not put on airs, Professor Yao has also been quietly committed to cultivating basic computer talents in our country.

It can be said that among Liu Jiong/Lang’s many disciples, Professor Yao is the one who truly inherits his spirit of preaching, teaching and solving doubts.

It was precisely for this reason that He Tianchang dared to call Professor Yao directly and playfully asked Professor Yao to "recommend talents."

But even so, He didn't think of how to speak for a while.

Although Professor Yao is committed to cultivating talents, he is most averse to backdoor methods.

Fortunately, the opportunity He Tianchang was looking forward to came soon.

Hearing He Tianchang complain about being burdened with mundane affairs, Professor Yao disagreed: "Our generation (the 1940s and 1950s) are all old, and your generation naturally has to shoulder more responsibilities!"

He Tianchang was worried that he had no chance to bring the topic to Lin Hui. When he heard Professor Yao mention his age, he immediately took over the conversation:

"I am not considered young anymore. I am over fifty this year. The future still depends on young people."

Hearing He Tianchang's words, Professor Yao asked strangely: "Don't you always boast that you are still young? Why are you suddenly lamenting that heroes are old?"

He Tianchang: "The younger generation is growing up too fast. How can we not grow old?"

How could Professor Yao not know what He Tianchang meant: "You must have found a good idea, and you lead the topic here in a roundabout way...

Tell me, who else from your school would you like to recommend to me? Where would you like to recommend?

Let me make it clear first that I no longer have graduate students.

If you are a graduate student, there is no need to say anything. Don't bother me about this. This hole cannot be opened. "

He Tianchang explained: "It's not about graduate students, and the person recommended this time is not from our school, but an undergraduate who just finished the college entrance examination. His name is Lin Hui...

I would like to recommend him to participate in the selection of Shuimu Computer Science Experimental Class. "

After listening to He Tianchang's words, Professor Yao smiled.

Professor Yao smiled, but He Tianchang was a little panicked.

It's a small thing to be misunderstood, but it shouldn't accidentally delay Lin Hui's future.

He Tianchang hurriedly said: "Professor Yao, I understand your principles, I am not going through the back door.

This Lin Hui scored more than 730 points, which fully met the standards for participating in the computer science experimental class in previous years.

I just don’t want the pearl to be covered in dust, so I’m recommending it..."

Professor Yao: "Don't worry, who said you used the back door?

Let me ask you, is the Lin Hui you are talking about the top scorer in science in the college entrance examination in Beiyu Province this year? "

These words surprised He Tianchang: "Yes, Lin Hui is the top scorer in science in this year's college entrance examination in the Northern Territory. Professor Yao, do you also know this Lin Hui?"

Professor Yao: "I don't think I understand it, but I heard someone else mention this name today."

It is really rare that an ordinary student who has just finished the college entrance examination can get into the ears of a person of Professor Yao's level.

He Tianchang didn't quite understand.

He Tianchang: "Professor Yao, can I ask who the last person who mentioned Lin Hui was?"

Professor Yao: "After all these years, your character of asking for answers has not changed..."

He Tianchang smiled sheepishly.

Professor Yao: "The first person to mention Lin Hui's name was Vice President Jia Lujia of Peking University. I happened to pass by him in the morning when he was discussing freshmen matters with Mr. Shuimu Admissions.

Vice President Jia discussed with us that we should not compete with them for Lin Hui as a candidate under any circumstances.

If we are willing, they can give up all the science college entrance examination top scorers from other provinces in North China except the Northern Territory? "

He Tianchang asked puzzledly: "Isn't North China one of the areas with the fiercest competition for students every year?

Why is Peking University spending so much money this year, and is it willing to directly give up the college entrance examination top scorers from several other provinces in North China for a Lin Hui?

No, isn't that Professor Jia a professor of linguistics at Peking University?

Lin Hui is the number one scholar in science. Why is he interested in Lin Hui? "

Professor Yao: “You only know one but not the other.

Although Professor Jia is a professor of language, his main field of study is applied linguistics.

The main direction of applied linguistics in recent years is the intersection with computers.

This classmate Lin Hui has some patents in natural language processing. They think Lin Hui is very talented in natural language processing.

Naturally, he will be very interested in Lin Hui..."

He Tianchang: "Beijing University has a very keen sense of smell. Did he know what Lin Hui was doing in the field of natural language processing so quickly?

Professor Yao, this is what I want to tell you. Lin Hui is very talented in natural language processing...

The generative summary algorithm he proposed is very thoughtful and may use a number of unprecedented research ideas.

Anyway, I feel that it is difficult to implement the algorithm he proposed using traditional methods...

…

That’s why I recommended him to participate in the selection of the computer experimental class..."

Professor Yao: “Tianchang, your idea is very good.

But let me ask you, have you considered Lin Hui’s will in your recommendation? "

He Tianchang: "I..."

Professor Yao: “Perhaps you feel that your current behavior is correct.

But if you think about it, is it really appropriate? We have no right to make choices for other people's lives.

Students like Lin Hui who can achieve very high scores should be well-planned.

Their path should be chosen by themselves.

Rather than you and me arranging it behind the scenes. "

He Tianchang: "Mr. Yao, this classmate Lin Hui is really very accomplished in algorithms.

This is not just nonsense on my part. I expressed my opinion after carefully considering what he published.

Although Lin Hui’s research results are not enough for you.

But if Lin can achieve what he is now at the age of 18, his future is completely limitless.

I also know that it’s not good for me to do this behind my back, but I am also passionate about my talent.

I have seen too many geniuses die young.

I really don’t want Lin Hui to take any detours..."

Professor Yao doesn’t think so: “Isn’t it only a detour if you enter Shuimu’s computing experimental class?

Or is it not considered a detour only if you are engaged in the computer field?

Tianchang, let me tell you about myself. I am barely famous in the computer field now.

But do you know what I went through in the first half of my life?

In 1967, I graduated from Daiwan University with a bachelor's degree in physics.

Later he went to the United States for further study. Received a PhD in physics from Harvard University in 1972.

It wasn't until 1975 that I received my PhD in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

According to your logic, can it be said that the path I took in physics before was a detour?

You can’t put it this way, I feel like I don’t have any experience in physics.

I can't get that far on a computer either.

Therefore, we need to look at the problem dialectically. Sometimes a detour may indeed be a detour in a short period of time.

But from a more macro perspective, what seemed like a detour at the time was actually a detour to achieve a greater goal.

Let me tell you, a detour does not mean it is a wrong path.

When you get old and look back on your past life, you will find that detours are also a valuable asset. "

Listening to Professor Yao's words, He Tianchang suddenly became speechless.

This is indeed the truth.

"but……"

What else did He Tianchang say?

Professor Yao interrupted him and said, "Since Mr. Lin's grades have met the standards to participate in the selection.

Then during the admissions process, if Lin shows interest in Mizuki.

It was impossible for the teacher recruited by Shuimu not to tell Lin Hui about the computer experimental class.

When the time comes, it will be up to Lin Hui to make his own choice. "

Although Professor Yao’s final answer is indispensable.

But it’s already pretty good to get such an answer.

People of Professor Yao's level can be said to be super bosses in the computer field.

Professor Yao is a polymath in theoretical computer science.

His research interests include complexity theory, algorithm analysis and design, and emerging areas of theoretical computer science such as quantum communications and quantum computing.

It is good for ordinary scholars to understand one direction of research.

Professor Yao not only has many research directions, but also has made significant contributions in various directions.

Professor Yao has contributed to complexity-based pseudo-random number generation theory, cryptography and communication complexity.

It pioneered the field of communication complexity and revealed the essence of communication overhead in distributed computing.

Designed mathematical tools for fast quantum algorithms and security analysis of quantum cryptographic protocols.

To a certain extent, it is not an exaggeration to say that Professor Yao created a new trend in computer science.

Professor Yao's work has promoted the formation of computational theory and established new methodological theories and effective techniques in many fields, including computational geometry, depth-invariant Boolean circuit complexity, data structure analysis, and quantum communications.

All in all, He Tianchang felt that he could make Lin Hui more impressed in Professor Yao's mind.

It can be considered helpful.

In the process of walking around Lin Hui today.

He Tianchang felt a little powerless.

He Tianchang couldn't help but sigh, maybe he was really old.