The Military-industrial Scientific Research System of the Academic Master Chapter 831

Chapter 831 Millennium Mathematical Puzzle

After Zhou Qingzhi's opening speech, it was naturally Zhang Hongbiao's turn as the attending leader to speak.

As he spoke, the faces of the people from the Civil Aviation Administration below became even darker.

Chang Haonan has no doubt that if it were not for the direct decision from higher-level leaders, it would be difficult for C808 to even find Bashu Airlines, the second launch user.

However, this is not important anymore.

After all, the reason why a separate unit like the Civil Aviation Administration was established was not just to manage a few airlines.

More importantly, we want to rely on it to coordinate the development of the entire Chinese civil aviation industry.

As a result, you coordinate and coordinate everything, and your operations are as fierce as a tiger's.

Performance in the last 20 years was not as good as the next two years.

Now that the latter half of the functions have been handed over to the Science and Technology Commission, there is no need to retain such a large group of people.

Hence, the Civil Aviation Administration should soon adjust from a direct bureau to a secondary bureau under the relevant ministries and commissions, stripping off most of its administrative functions and becoming a relatively simple business department.

It does not pose any threat anymore.

This is why Chang Haonan told Zhang Hongbiao just now that Hufei's most important task now is to deliver orders with quality and quantity—

Although it is difficult for regional passenger aircraft to become mainstream in a country with the population size and land area of China, even flying to some border areas and routes in the central and western regions is enough to support this model.

As long as it can operate stably and safely for several years, with the support of FAA and EASA airworthiness certification, exporting is almost a matter of course.

Plus some orders for military platforms and special aircraft...

It is no exaggeration to say that good times are yet to come.

After the celebration ceremony, there is naturally a routine banquet.

It's just that Hufei can be said to be ingenious this time.

Neither chose a high-end hotel nor a group restaurant.

Instead, the banquet hall was set up directly in the open air near the assembly workshop.

In mid-April in Shanghai, the weather was just cool but not cold.

The breeze is blowing slowly, and not far away are the five passenger planes that are the protagonists of today's celebration...

It is also a different kind of experience.

Amidst the crowd of toasters, Chang Haonan toasted to Zhou Qingzhi and the United Airlines representative next to him.

“Then, I wish you success in your first business operation!”

At the same time, across the ocean.

Clay Institute of Mathematics, Massachusetts.

Early in the morning, Langton Clay hurried into the office of Arthur Jeff, the director of the institute and a professor of mathematics at Harvard University.

As soon as he entered the door, he placed a newspaper in his hand in front of the latter, and then sat down on the sofa not far away:

“Arthur, next month, the Collège de France will host a conference on Millennium Mathematics, and we need to make some noise.”

The two co-founded the institute two years ago.

Because the main business of the investor and sponsor Clay is a businessman, Jeff is responsible for the daily work of the institute.

However, the former is the financial owner after all and still has the right to speak on key matters.

The Clay Institute is said to be a non-profit organization, but as we all know, non-profit ≠ not profit-making.

Langton Clay invested a lot of money in the institute, partly because he was interested in mathematics, a subject he didn't know much about.

But the more important purpose is to gain a certain influence in the academic circle.

Objectively speaking, he is quite successful in this regard—

Although the institute has only been established two years ago, it is already somewhat famous in the circle of theoretical mathematics.

Even some well-known mathematicians will at least have a certain impression of the name Langton Clay.

If it is in public, a few words of "high praise" will be given out of politeness.

Mathematicians also need to eat.

However, Clay himself is still not satisfied with the status quo.

He has always hoped that his Clay Research Institute can become the world's top research institution like the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Even if it is not top-notch in level, at least it should be top-notch in influence.

“Make some noise?”

Jeff picked up the newspaper and quickly scanned the reports:

“Langton, you know, mathematical research requires inspiration.”

"There is only a little more than a month left, and I can't guarantee you that we will come up with any world-shaking results." "Well..."

Clay was a little frustrated, but he also knew that the other party was right.

Mathematics is not something that you will definitely get results if you are willing to spend money.

At least not within the specified time limit.

“Originally, I planned to hold a Millennium Mathematicians Conference in the name of the institute at the end of last year, but it was overtaken by Princeton, and this time it was the Collège de France…”

“If it continues to be delayed, the millennium, a time window that attracts worldwide attention, will pass..."

From the end of 1999 to the first half of 2000, activities to celebrate the millennium were relatively normal.

But if it's late 2000 and you're still celebrating the millennium…

　　 it seems weird.

So, there is not much time left for Clay.

Looking at the anxious look on his old friend and sponsor's face, Jeff had no choice but to start thinking.

As a mathematician, he quickly thought of a wild idea:

“Langton, maybe... we can think differently.”

“Perhaps you have heard that a hundred years ago, in 1900, David Hilbert proposed 23 mathematical problems at the Second Congress of Mathematicians?”

Actually, Langton Clay had not heard of it.

Of course he knew Hilbert, but that was all.

However, this does not affect his understanding of the other party's meaning.

"You mean, I...uh...our institute can also raise some mathematical problems and call on mathematicians to answer them?"

Arthur Jeff shook his head, seemingly helpless at Clay's overestimation:

“Just a call is definitely not enough. Hilbert was already a world-famous master of mathematics in 1900. He proposed 23 mathematical problems and naturally some people responded. Our institute..."

Speaking of this, he raised his head and looked at Clay on the sofa:

“Our research institute only has a name, but not much fame...so if we want to have enough influence, we still need some additions.”

“You mean…a reward?”

“Yes, the bigger the amount, the better.”

Jeff replied.

“Then…one hundred thousand dollars?”

Clay asked tentatively.

Jeff almost spat out the coffee he just drank.

“One hundred thousand dollars is less?”

Clay felt a little tingly on his scalp.

You should know that although he provides a large amount of funding to the research institute every year, this kind of sponsorship of scientific research is actually a way to avoid tax, which means that he does not really need to lose much money.

But if there is a reward, the money will be scattered out solidly.

“One hundred thousand dollars is indeed a lot, but since what you want is a gimmick, it will definitely not be enough.”

Jeff replied:

“At least a million dollars.”

“Hiss…then what if I also propose 23…twenty-three million US dollars?”

"no…"

Jeff shook his head like a rattle:

“First of all, there is a high probability that there are no more 23 mathematical problems with enough weight for you to post a reward.”

“Secondly, since it is a reward, money needs to be paid after it is solved. You don't think that those mathematical problems that have been left until now will be solved easily, right?”

"If we raise the level of difficulty of problems a little higher, such as Hodge's conjecture, Riemann's hypothesis, analytical solutions to the N-S equation, and Poincaré's conjecture, I estimate that no one will be able to solve it in a few decades. Just keep your bounty hanging..."

After some explanation, Clay also realized that this idea is indeed feasible.

Immediately afterwards, he thought that since the problems Hilbert listed were called "mathematical problems of the century," then the problems he offered rewards for solving must have higher names.

“How about we call these problems 'Millennium Prize Problems', or 'Millennium Math Problems'?”

“You are the one who paid for it, I don't have any objection to what you call it.”

Jeff's eyes also shone with excitement and ambition:

“But I hope it will be up to me to decide what issues are included in the bounty.”

(End of this chapter)

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