"Why don't you go up quickly? What are you doing standing there in a daze?"
Where Li Mu and Wiles were sitting, Wiles said to Li Mu with a smile.
Qiu Chengtong came to accompany his students to see if they could win the prize, and of course Wiles did the same.
And what's different is that he comes to see his students win awards, not "whether".
For his students to win such an award, it is considered a happy thing for him anyway.
Just like when Richard Taylor, the student who helped him complete the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, later won the Cole Prize in Number Theory, Wiles went with him.
Li Mu was a little surprised that he was the only one to win the award?
Independent winner!
The Dirac Medal has been awarded once a year since 1985. The number of years when there is only one winner has only been five years. Now, including his current class, it will only be six years.
He was not surprised that he won the award, but he was still surprised to be the only recipient.
What Guilliman Vern said just now actually came true.
But then, he did not hesitate, stood up decisively, and walked onto the podium.
Warm applause broke out in the venue, and Atish on the stage also noticed that even the mathematicians who seemed to be talking about other things just now raised their heads and applauded Li Mu.
And if he read it correctly, it seemed that the eyes of these mathematicians looking at Li Mu were full of... admiration?
He vaguely felt that what those mathematicians were talking about just now might have something to do with Li Mu.
Could it be that something happened?
Unfortunately, he is not a mathematician, so he does not know the trends in the mathematics world these two days.
However, his doubts quickly stopped because Li Mu had already stepped onto the stage.
Looking at the young man, Atish stepped forward with a smile and stretched out his hand: "Congratulations, you have become the winner of the Dirac Medal. I hope this medal can continue to promote your research in theoretical physics."
Li Mu also smiled and stretched out his hand to shake Atish's hand.
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and also thank ICTP for recognizing me.”
"Haha, it's not ICTP's recognition of you. We also want to thank you for your recognition of us. It's also an honor for this medal to be awarded to you."
Atish said with emotion: "Seeing you reminds me of my young self, full of fantasies and passion for science, but unfortunately, I am not as talented as you."
"All in all, our science needs geniuses like you."
He patted Li Mu on the shoulder, then turned around, "Then..."
As he spoke, he picked up the Dirac Medal from the table next to him.
The design of the medal is very unique. It is not a circle, but a square, which is then embedded in an irregular nameplate. It looks golden and is particularly dazzling under the lights of the venue. On the square medal, The words "DIRAC MEDAL" are written in big letters.
"Now it's time to officially hand this medal over to you."
Afterwards, Atish handed it to Li Mu.
Li Mu took the medal and looked at it carefully for a moment.
This represents the highest honor in theoretical physics, and now it is in his hands.
From then on, there was another ornament in his collection room.
"Thanks!"
he said.
Atish smiled and nodded, then stretched out his hand to signal that he wanted to take pictures.
Li nodded, then looked at the camera with Atish and left a photo. Next, he also took a separate photo holding a medal in his hand.
This photo will be published by the media and spread to the world.
"Let me tell you a few words. We in the theoretical physics community probably want to hear what you have to say."
After seeing Li Mu finish taking the photo, Atish said to him and moved away from the microphone.
Li Mu nodded slightly, then stepped forward, stood in front of the microphone, and said, "It's an honor to receive the Dirac Medal."
"Mr. Paul Dirac laid a very solid foundation for our theoretical physics. Just like the Dirac equation, one of the most basic equations of our quantum mechanics, it has always played a huge role in our research. .”
"The establishment of this award is obviously to continue to promote us physicists, like Mr. Dirac, to continue to develop physics."
"As future generations, we should also continue to improve our physical framework based on the work of our predecessors, especially for those of us who are theoretical physicists."
"I have always believed that theoretical physics is ahead of its time. What experimental physics cannot discover is up to us. What experimental physics cannot predict is up to us to predict. What experimental physics cannot explain is up to us to explain."
"This is theoretical physics!"
"So, everyone, please let us work together to make theoretical physics more brilliant!"
After speaking, Li Mu bowed slightly, and then the audience burst into warm applause again.
Theoretical physics is ahead of its time!
Every theoretical physicist likes to hear this sentence, and of course it is also true.
Theoretical physics can predict the existence of dark matter, but until now experimental physics has not discovered dark matter. Theoretical physics has even predicted time travel, which is the timing protection conjecture in physics.
In some solutions to Einstein's field equations of general relativity, there will be a closed time-like curve, that is, the world line where the particle moves in space-time is a closed loop. After moving a certain distance from the initial point, it will return to the initial point.
In other words, a closed timelike curve like this means a kind of time travel that can return from the present to the past.
Of course, Hawking speculated that this kind of time travel can only be achieved at a microscopic level - perhaps the method of returning to the past in The Avengers is very likely based on this conjecture. Realized, so the protagonists need to enter the quantum microscopic world before they can travel through time and return to the past.
However, it can be achieved in movies, but in reality, experimental physics still cannot verify this.
To some extent, this is also a kind of pride for their theoretical physics.
They've won too much.
This kind of thing is also very common in mathematics. Some pure mathematicians are proud of the fact that the mathematical methods they have developed cannot be applied to solve any real-life problems, and they call this the maintenance of mathematics. of purity.
This can be regarded as some small pride for theorists.
…
Li Mu, who had finished his simple speech, walked off the stage without staying any longer.
This concludes the awarding of this year’s Dirac Medal.
"congratulations."
After returning to his seat, Wiles next to him said with a smile.
He looked at the Dirac Medal in Li Mu's hand and couldn't help but said: "The design of this medal is really special. It is completely different from my Fields Special Medal."
"It's a pity that I will never get this award in my life. Although I don't know whether the Fields Special Medal is among the categories not awarded by ICTP, but the Wolf Prize in Mathematics must be included in it."
Li Mu couldn't help but laugh: "There are still several Dirac Awards. If you start studying physics from now on, you might still have a chance."
In fact, in addition to the ICTP Dirac Prize, there are several other Dirac Prizes, including the Dirac Prize awarded by the University of New South Wales, the IOP Dirac Prize, and the WATOC Dirac Prize.
WATOC is the World Association of Theoretical and Computational Chemists. Last year, it invited Li Mu to attend their three-year conference. However, Li Mu did not go because of his defense.
Wiles waved his hand and said, "Forget it, I don't have the energy to study theoretical physics anymore."
But at this time, he looked around again, and finally stepped forward and whispered to Li Mu: "In addition, have you noticed that more and more people seem to be looking at us? Oh no, I It feels like it should be up to you.”
"Look at me?"
Li Mu was stunned.
It seems...is it true? !
"You won't do anything big again, right?"
Wiles couldn't help but ask.
"What big thing did you do?"
Li Mu squinted his eyes and thought for a moment, and then suddenly remembered, could it be because...
At this moment, Atish on the stage had already entered the next event - the presentation of the Ramanujan Award.
"ICTP has always attached great importance to supporting scientific research in developing countries."
"In the world of mathematics, one of the most famous geniuses in history, Ramanujan, was a great mathematician from a developing country."
"In order to commemorate Mr. Ramanujan, and also to inspire young mathematicians like him who came from developing countries, we established the Ramanujan Award."
“We are also grateful to the International Mathematical Union and the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology for supporting the award.”
When Atish mentioned the award, he finally found that many mathematicians below raised their heads and were no longer studying anything as before.
It seems that this mathematics award has attracted these mathematicians.
It’s just that this winner…
He said: "And this year's Ramanu Gold Award winner is none other than Li Mu who came from China!"
There was another uproar in the venue.
Good guy, I actually gave both awards to one person!
Everyone couldn't help but marvel.
At this year's ICTP conference, Li Mu can be regarded as the biggest winner.
Especially the physicists present were also very curious about what the mathematicians thought about Li Mu winning the award.
But when they looked over, they saw that these mathematicians all looked convinced.
Well, it seems that everyone is the same, no one is unconvinced.
Perhaps they were not surprised that Li Mu won the Nobel Prize and Fields Medal on the spot.
At this time, Li Mu, who was still discussing with Wiles why the people around him were looking at them, was caught off guard when he heard Atish's announcement.
Ah this...?
Another prize?
hiss……
Well, expected, expected.
Wiles patted him on the shoulder and said, "Okay, you go up to receive the award first, and we will discuss it when you come back."
Li Mu nodded and then took the stage again.
As Li Mu left, Wiles found that the eyes around him followed Li Mu.
This made him even more curious, what on earth did Li Mu do?
He couldn't help but take out his mobile phone and start checking.
As a result, he saw a message from his old friend Simon Donaldson, a professor at All Souls College, Oxford University: [Oh, my God! Wiles, where are you now? Do you know what your students did? 】
Wiles was stunned for a moment and replied: [What happened? I am currently in Italy accompanying Li Mu to attend the ICTP meeting. 】
【What? Li Mu is by your side, my God, don’t you know? ! Goldbach Conjecture! prove! Prove it! Didn't he tell you? 】
Wiles was stunned.
Goldbach Conjecture……
He suddenly remembered.
When they came here a few days ago, Li Mu was uploading some paper to arxiv in the car.
At that time, he asked if it was about Goldbach's conjecture. Now looking at the message from Simon, it has already caused discussion in the mathematics community?
Europe! Oh my God!
He expected at that time that he would probably see this incident from the news. Although he didn't see it from the news now, it was not much different.
At this time, Simon Donaldson sent another message: [And the most important thing is that he combined elliptic curves and K-module theory in the paper, using the Taniyama-Shimura conjecture that you originally proved. , he has further improved your original results, which is very important for realizing the Langlands Program! You don't know? ! Is there some gap between Li Mu and you and he didn't tell you? Just tell me, I will drag him to our Wanling Academy. 】
After seeing the first half of the news, Wiles's face suddenly became even more surprised.
What?
Li Mu actually improved his previous achievements by another step in the proof?
Using the modular form and elliptic curve he once unified, and then integrating K theory into it, he achieved a combination of the three?
Suddenly, he felt a little regretful.
I regret not asking Li Mu to send him the paper immediately.
Otherwise, if he was so bored in Italy these two days, he would definitely have read the paper once!
What a bullshit surprise, he can't wait any longer!
At this time, he also saw Simon Donaldson's last words, and immediately replied angrily: [Don't talk nonsense, my relationship with Li Mu is indestructible, it's just that I asked him not to tell me. 】
Simon Donaldson immediately replied: [Hahahahahahahahahahaha...]
Reading between the lines, Wiles seemed to be able to hear Donaldson's mocking laughter.
Too lazy to talk to him anymore, Wiles finally realized at this time why the math scholars around him kept looking at Li Mu.
They all already know about feelings. As Li Mu's teacher, he should be the first one to know about it, but he doesn't know anything yet.
md.
I will never pretend again.
Wiles held his forehead.
(End of chapter)
