Wen Wei Po 2005-06-02 Reporter Zhang Yongqing

Differential geometry, partial differential equations and mathematical physics constitute the "golden triangle" in the life of Gu Chaohao, an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research style is praised as "unique, elegant, in-depth and changeable" by the international mathematics community. So, how did he enter the glorious hall of science? How colorful is his life?

There is mathematics everywhere in life.

In the eyes of ordinary people, mathematics is mysterious and profound, which makes ordinary people elusive. What about mathematicians? Do you live in a towering ivory tower, or are you immersed in piles of formulas and symbols? Gu Chaohao, however, told everyone with great interest that modern mathematics is closely related to various disciplines, and the so-called life is full of mathematics!

Life is accompanied by mathematics, and every day is so interesting. Take the simplest cooking, we usually wash the bowl first, and then put the fried dishes into the bowl. Gu Chaohao, who knows how to wear an apron, calculated and came to a "conclusion": according to the overall planning method, cooking time should be fried first, and then washing dishes, so that the time for washing dishes is saved.

Despite his illness, Mr. Gu never forgot his major. As soon as he entered the hospital, his liver function index dropped slowly. After several weeks of blood tests, Mr. Gu solemnly said to the nurse, "Can you change the next routine examination to 10 days later?" Because according to the previous test report, I made a prediction, 10 days, my liver function index will fall back to normal. According to the original blood drawing cycle, it will take two weeks to leave the hospital. "A word amused the nurses, and sure enough, the patient was discharged from the hospital four days in advance and took less blood.

Gu Chaohao is also an amateur typhoon forecaster. According to the wind direction at that time and the geometric characteristics of typhoon, we can judge the weather forecast synchronously in a simple way and try to see who is more accurate and who is more timely-mathematicians are never tired of such fun.

One year, a strong typhoon was approaching the southeast coast of China, and it was predicted that it would land in Zhejiang or Fujian. At that time, Shanghai was very nervous and prepared for a typhoon at night. Around noon, Gu Chaohao saw that the south-facing window was raining and the wind direction was changing to the southeast, so he concluded that the typhoon had landed in Zhejiang and the center was moving to the west or northwest, so there would be no big problem in Shanghai. Facts have proved that his judgment is completely correct.

For more than 60 years, he trudged on the rugged mountain road of mathematics. From differential geometry to partial differential equations, and then from partial differential equations to mathematical physics, Gu Chaohao has been savoring the profundity and abstraction of mathematics all his life. But from beginning to end, he didn't feel bored. He said he got the greatest pleasure in life from it.

Today, Gu Chaohao is 80 years old and still works more than 8 hours a day. "I'm thinking about some new math problems recently." Speaking of specific projects, the old man made a naughty "secret" gesture: "I haven't done anything yet, I'll tell you when I have the results."

In this computer age, he still likes to use a pen and a blank sheet of paper to solve difficult problems tirelessly-mathematicians' brains are far better than computers. Of course, computers are also important tools. Gu Chaohao proudly said, "As early as the 1970s, we used a 7 19 computer of the Department of Mathematics to calculate national defense issues. That machine is big and heavy, occupying a whole room! "

"Always", Gu Chaohao used this sentence to describe his nostalgia for mathematics. In the interview, he also revealed three "80-year-old wishes": the country develops better; Fudan can successfully enter a world-class prestigious school; I can do it easily for many years.

Gu Chaohao+Hu = Academician and his wife.

A study, two desks, the husband's desk facing the sun and the wife's desk facing the wall-"obviously, my position is better than her." There is a trace of satisfaction between Gu Chaohao's words. The study room is full of documents, conference notices, newspapers and books. The two academicians study side by side here every day and never stop moving forward.

After 48 years of marriage, Gu Chaohao still clearly remembers the first meeting between them: "It was 1950, and I met Hu in the library of the Department of Mathematics. She said that Teacher Su gave her a paper, and some places were unclear, so she wanted me to help her read it. I said, okay, where's the paper? She said the paper was in the dormitory. Her dormitory is more than ten minutes away from my office. It's autumn, but it's still very hot. She panted and ran to get it back. I think this little girl is very nice and willing to study hard. We had a discussion with her, and she made all the contents of the paper clear. This is the beginning of our discussion about mathematics, and she also has a good impression on me. "

Mathematics makes Gu Chaohao's love dream come true. The classmates and teenagers of that year are now white-haired. During the interview, the photojournalist wanted to take pictures of the couple, and Hu immediately shyly combed her hair: "Today, my hair is not combed properly, and my clothes are not right." Gu Chaohao smiled and added a sentence: After studying mathematics all his life, Hu, who comes from a family of calligraphy and painting, only cares about the color matching and the harmony of style. "Every time I attend an important event, Hu should pay attention to my wardrobe. As long as you give her a hand like this, it's always very energetic. "

It is said that there is a woman behind every successful man, but Hu "subverts" this theorem: she not only helps her husband in life, but also works hand in hand in her career-she is the only female academician in the field of mathematics in China, and she has also become the first China woman to walk on the NOETHER platform of the International Congress of Mathematicians.

Ask two academicians, have you ever thought about sacrificing one's career when you get married, so that the other half can have more energy and make greater contributions? Gu Chaohao firmly replied: "Never! We both want to make a difference in our careers. " Nonsense, she is willing to give up her love of music and literature for mathematics; For math, she can get up at 4 am to study.

From falling in love to staying together, the 55-year emotional accumulation is as immeasurable as the problems and equations that the couple have done. Usually, their research fields have their own emphasis, and when it comes to cooperation, the high efficiency brought by tacit understanding is often twice the result with half the effort. Gu Chaohao described: "I can tell her what I did, and she can also tell me what she did. We understand each other, and we can also ask questions and check each other. This is the greatest pleasure of life! "

Daily life-housework = more working hours

Get up at half past six, cook some rice and an egg. Start work at 8 o'clock sharp, and have to attend many meetings. Write back in the evening and read the graduate thesis-at the age of 80, Gu Chaohao's life is still busy and simple, and it has been like a day for decades.

For academicians and couples, daily life is a subtraction problem, and all the time squeezed out is spent on study. "As early as the wedding, I told Hu that we should not spend too much time on housework." Gu Chaohao said that when they lived in a simple house of 12 square meters, the couple hired an hourly worker. Aunt is from Anhui, very capable, very thoughtful, good cooking and beautiful needlework, which saved the couple a lot of time. "My aunt worked in my home for 45 years, then retired and sometimes came to help. Unfortunately, she passed away last year, but her family is still our friends for three generations. "

Now the new hourly worker goes home for one day 1-2 hours, and other chores are shared by the old couple. "Burning a dish tastes good or bad, mainly because of health and nutrition, and time is the most important." Gu Chaohao called cooking "self-inflicted".

Speaking of saving time, Hu suddenly smiled and gave the most convincing example: "Do you know? I don't usually go to the barber shop. I usually wash my hair myself, and then ask Mr. Gu to cut it short and trim it a little. At first my husband said not to cut it. I said don't be afraid. My requirements are not high. He learned it slowly and praised it as a good way, saving a lot of time and trouble! "

A simple life doesn't mean a lack of interest. Every day, Gu Chaohao reads many newspapers such as Reference News, Wen Wei Po and Science Times. Some time ago, Lien Chan and James Soong visited Chinese mainland, and he never missed relevant TV reports. Speaking of the World Table Tennis Championships held in Shanghai during the May 1 ST period, the old man came straight to the point: "I like China people's strengths best, such as table tennis and women's volleyball!"

In the eyes of the husband, the wife's attitude towards life is more meticulous. "See the room full of flowers? She takes care of them. Peony like this has been in bloom for 3 months! " On the balcony, Hu's favorite sunflower is sprouting. Seeing the flowers in full bloom, the old man was also elated. In order to take care of these beautiful "little girls", Hu also invented the "red scarecrow"-a red plastic bag tied to a pole to drive away sparrows.

Although he is tired from his research work, Hu still likes listening to music. As early as when she was a graduate student at Zhejiang University, she had already joined the Choir of Zhejiang University, and she even had a touching nickname-"Bel Canto". Those ancient lyrics, sometimes forget one sentence, my husband said, "Never mind, I remember." He put together a jigsaw puzzle for his wife with his own singing.

Mathematics × literature = a rich life

I have always felt that scientists and poets are two completely different people. The poet is romantic, and his thoughts are free and unrestrained; Scientists are rigorous, solid and meticulous. However, Gu Chaohao made a successful multiplication and enriched his life.

During the interview, Mr. Gu sang a poem to me with great interest: "Steam goes into space and snow is on the peak." A flood shook the rivers and seas, and the rain followed the east wind. "Literally, this is a realistic description of the Rhine Waterfall; In fact, Gu Chaohao's ideals in different stages of his life are all contained in it-when he was young, he was eager to fly high; As I get older, I hope to accumulate and get thinner and thinner. The ideal of middle age is to have a successful career and be influential in mathematics at home and abroad; Now I am 80 years old, but I also hope to do my bit for the oriental culture and mathematics.

Speaking of the experience of writing poetry, Gu Chaohao is a little shy: "I actually have no formal training in old-style poetry. Wenzhou dialect, Shanghai dialect and Mandarin are often mixed together, so I have never mastered the level, and my works have never dared to show to Teacher Su." Poetry, for him, is caused by interest and amuses himself. It is a great comfort to express what happened in a certain period of time in at least a few words!

Gu Chaohao also summed up the "theoretical basis" of the relationship between mathematics and classical poetry: "You see, any science needs language expression. From this perspective, literary literacy is essential for a scientific worker. In addition, some literary works are very logical. I learned to use mathematics to reduce to absurdity in middle school, which may be related to my reading of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. " Speaking of which, Mr. Gu smiled. He added: Both mathematics and classical literature attach great importance to symmetry, and many works also contain rich scientific ideas.

Therefore, Gu Chaohao often admonishes young people not to pay more attention to reason than literature, and not to simply deal with numbers, formulas, axioms and theorems. "On the one hand, literature and writing can enrich life, on the other hand, it is also conducive to the development of mathematical thinking!"

Poetry not only expresses feelings through poetry, but also is a rose and gift from Gu Chaohao to his wife. 199 1 year, Hu was elected as an academician of China Academy of Sciences, and her husband specially wrote a poem to congratulate him: "Study hard at night in a cold window, and light the lamp before dawn. True story of geometry, a new chapter in physics. Never mind red makeup, beauty is natural. The college has a name, * * * to celebrate sunny days. "

Lifelong achievement = teaching and educating people.

I go to Fudan twice a week and can't move. I attend a discussion class on mathematics, physics and geometry, which is composed of students and young teachers. "I like being with young people very much. Their discussion was very interesting. From mathematics to astrophysics, new knowledge, new achievements and new inspirations are constantly emerging. " So far, Gu Chaohao and Hu have brought three doctoral students.

Scientific research and teaching are the horizontal and vertical axes of Gu Chaohao's life equation. He has taught basic mathematics courses for undergraduates for a long time, and also offered many specialized courses. At the academic seminar on June 5438+05, Gu Chaohao summed up his teaching experience in public: "Guide young people to do the most promising research and inspire them with the best content and methods." The voice was not loud, but it touched every student in the audience.

In today's scientific community, some tutors "rightfully" take students' achievements as their own. Hong Jiaxing, an academician of China Academy of Sciences and director of Fudan Institute of Mathematics, dismissed this "strange phenomenon": "When I was a student of Mr. Gu, the determination of the topic and the specific methods of the paper were all guided by Mr. Gu, but he never signed the paper." Zhou, another doctoral student, said with a smile that when Mr. Gu's students are a little "tired", they have to be particularly serious. Because he studies hard, his brain turns quickly. Any student who makes a slight mistake in the discussion speech will point it out at the first time.

The achievements of a lifetime have turned into peaches and plums all over the world Today, the Department of Mathematics and the Institute of Mathematics of Fudan University have become internationally renowned research institutions. Among the students who graduated or studied here, there are five academicians of the Academy of Sciences and five academicians of the Academy of Engineering, all of whom have been carefully cultivated and edified by Gu Chaohao to varying degrees. Gu Chaohao told reporters modestly and proudly: "In those days, my teacher Su told me,' I have trained more students than me, and you should also train more students than you'-he is turning my army! Looking back now, I think that to a certain extent, I can pay Mr. Su! "

Mathematical exploration is hard: just like groping in the mountains, the mountain road is slender and winding. Mathematics is abstract, so it is far from real life. No wonder some young people are not optimistic about this basic subject now. Even if you get started, you usually take the math department as a "springboard" and then enter insurance companies, banks and computer companies. ...

Although changing careers is also one of the ways out, Gu Chaohao still shouts loudly: Mathematics is the foundation and tool of all sciences! Shanghai needs math! China needs math! He especially hopes that talented and ambitious young people will devote themselves to this subject. "All I did was pick up a few scattered shells on the beach, hoping to pin my hopes on young people!"