NOVEL WEB Chapter 295 I Thought This Was Just a Regular Question
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That very night, Professor Tu photocopied Zhang Menglong's exam paper and rushed back to Yanjing.
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In the mathematical community of Huaxia, there were a great many schools of thought, each often devoted to a single mathematical problem, and there were already more than a thousand researchers studying the Riemann Hypothesis alone.
Since its proposition in 1859, the Riemann Hypothesis had already been around for more than a century and had become one of the seven great unsolved problems offered a prize by the Clay Mathematics Institute. To date, more than a thousand mathematical propositions have been premised on the assumption of Riemann's conjecture, which underscores its significance in the mathematical community.
That night, the most representative dozen or so mathematicians of Huaxia gathered in an academic research analysis room at Yanjing University.
At the helm was a 73-year-old professor who had devoted almost his entire life to researching the Riemann Hypothesis, and he twice pushed forward the progress of research on the Riemann Hypothesis, making him the most authoritative figure in Huaxia on this matter!
At this moment, a glint of excitement flickered in his cloudy, aged eyes. His lifelong dream had been to determine the result of the Riemann Hypothesis, yet after so many years, he had taken only two small steps forward, and any progress made was only a drop in the bucket.
His age had advanced, the nimbleness of his thinking and his creativity had significantly diminished, and his mathematical logical abilities had also fallen steeply. It seemed the Riemann Hypothesis would remain an unfulfilled aspect of his life.
But he could never have imagined that an annual graduate-level advanced mathematics exam would bring him such a surprise!
"Academician Bai, what do you think?" Professor Tu asked. This Academician Bai was not only the leading figure of the Riemann Hypothesis research school in Huaxia but also his revered mentor.
"The new waves of the Yangtze River push the old ones ahead," Academician Bai laughed. "I think I understand his logic of proof, but we need to conduct further confirmation. Perhaps this year, the Riemann Hypothesis that has troubled the mathematical world for more than a century will be solved!"
"Really!?" Professor Tu's face could scarcely conceal his astonishment.
When he composed the test, he had thought that including such a question was absurd, but to their older generation, a graduate exam was just as inconsequential as children playing house.
Adding this question merely turned a total of 150 points into an exam worth 130 points, which still had no significant effect on student selection.
But who the hell could have expected that a student would actually solve one of the seven great unsolved mathematical problems in the world, the Riemann Hypothesis?
"Get me in touch with Professor Duweike immediately! I need him to help me verify this formula!"
"Teacher, it's so late now, you..."
"Don't dilly-dally, at our age, how can you still be like a woman?" Academician Bai cursed, "Hurry up! As long as I see the Riemann Hypothesis confirmed in my lifetime, I can close my eyes at any time."
"Teacher, don't talk nonsense. I'm contacting Professor Duweike right now!"
Professor Duweike was the deputy director of the Clay Mathematics Institute, a world-renowned mathematician. Like Academician Bai, he had also dedicated his life to researching the Riemann Hypothesis, and while they often engaged in academic contestation, over the years they had become very good friends.
Had it not been for their advanced age and the significant time difference between their locations, they might have even lived and eaten together!
"What? Someone in Huaxia has provided a proof for the Riemann Hypothesis?" Upon hearing the news, Professor Duweike was also extremely excited, "Old man, I'm coming to Huaxia right away!"
"Remember, bring more people; the computational work is massive!" Academician Bai said, "I don't know how that student managed to complete such massive calculations within two hours. Either he had previously proven this solution, or his brain is a computer!"
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That very night, Professor Duweike flew from America to Huaxia, bringing along a research team of nearly a hundred people. After a brief exchange, they went straight into a small, dark room and began to work feverishly.
The group of professors waited outside the small, dark room, and aside from delivering food and water at regular intervals, they dared not disturb them.
Two days later, Academician Bai and Professor Duweike finally emerged from the research room. The intense calculation of two days and nights had left them pale, but they couldn't conceal their excitement.
"Academician Bai, Professor Duweike, how did it go?" The mathematicians from Huaxia couldn't wait to ask.
"The student's method of proof is correct; he has successfully proven the Riemann Hypothesis!" Professor Duweike declared in the name of the Clay Mathematics Institute.
"Although his proof was only two pages, that's because he omitted a vast amount of computational work. We used over 500 sheets of manuscript paper to finish those calculations!" Academician Bai said excitedly, "And during that process, he solved 17 difficult problems in the field of mathematics. While they do not compare to the Riemann Hypothesis, any one of them could gain him a top mathematical prize!"
"Boom!"
The Riemann Hypothesis, which had puzzled the mathematical world for over 170 years, had been proven, and the person who proved it was a senior student participating in this year's graduate exam for science and engineering!
This news, like a nuclear blast, shocked the entire mathematical community.
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However, due to the confidentiality of the graduate exam, at the time Professor Tu had only photocopied the solution process and had not broken the seal on the student information, so the identity of this student has remained a mystery to this day!
But everyone knew that as soon as the graduate exam results were announced, this person's identity would be revealed to the world. Whoever scored full marks in mathematics was the one who had solved the Riemann Hypothesis!
Over a month's time, these two pages of solution process were verified by countless mathematicians, leading to a unanimous conclusion. The world's largest mathematical research institutions have one after another affirmed the results.
Now, everyone was just waiting for the release of the graduate exam results!
"Hurry up, is it time yet?" Today, the Huaxia examination information management office was unusually crowded with towering figures in the mathematical community, including over a dozen white-haired, octogenarian elders who had come here in wheelchairs.
These people came from Huaxia and abroad, and any one of them could make the entire mathematical community tremble.
"Almost... almost there, please be patient a little longer!" The usually authoritative host was now trembling like a chick.
It couldn't be helped, any one of these attendees was a top figure in the field of mathematics. They had advanced the progress of fundamental mathematics in the world, so even national leaders would have to treat these seniors with utmost respect. They simply couldn't afford to offend them.
"And you say we old folks are out of touch? It's you people who are truly old-fashioned! Making such a fuss over the removal of a staple, dragging it out for a month! Do you realize this is Huaxia's mathematical genius? A once-in-centuries mathematical prodigy!"
"Yes, yes!" The director responded with great respect.
"Director, the results have been uploaded!" Finally, a staff member said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Quick! Check! Who is it, after all?"
"What are you waiting for? Check now!" The director said to the staff member.
"Yes!"
Amidst the rapid clicking of keyboard keys, a string of information appeared on the computer screen.
Name: Zhang Menglong
School: Jiangnan University of Science and Technology
Examined institution: Jiangnan University of Science and Technology
English: 100
Advanced Mathematics 1: 150
Politics: 100
Major Subject: 150
"Zhang Menglong? Why does that name sound so familiar?" a few old-timers mused aloud.
"That's the world's richest person! I think he's studying at Jiangnan University of Science and Technology!"
"Is it him?"
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"Zhang Menglong! Are you still asleep? Do you have any idea that the Internet is blowing up?" In the middle of the night, Zhang Menglong suddenly received a call from Wang Ling.
"Your mom, I'm asleep! What are you doing in the middle of the night, eh?"
"That Riemann Hypothesis, was it really you who solved it?"
"What hypothesis? What are you talking about?"
"Quit your bullshit! The last question on the graduate exam's advanced mathematics paper! That Riemann Hypothesis, do you have any idea the entire mathematical community is going crazy right now?"
"Oh, that question," Zhang Menglong yawned, "I thought it was just a typical difficult question, a real brain teaser. No wonder it was a bit tough to solve!"