As early as 1940s, Hua was one of the leading mathematicians in the field of number theory. But he is not satisfied, he will not stop, he would rather start a new stove, leave number theory and learn algebra and complex analysis that he is not familiar with. How much perseverance and courage are needed!
Hua is good at telling profound truth in vivid language. These words are concise, philosophical and unforgettable. As early as the SO era, he proposed that "genius lies in accumulation, and cleverness lies in diligence". Although Hua is brilliant, he never mentions his own talent. Instead, he regards "diligence" and "accumulation", which are much more important than cleverness, as the key to success, and repeatedly educates young people to learn mathematics so that they can exercise themselves all the time. In the mid-1950s, in response to the problem that some young people in the Institute of Mathematics were complacent after making some achievements, or kept writing papers at the same level, Hua put forward in time: "There must be speed and acceleration." The so-called "speed" means producing results, and the so-called "acceleration" means constantly improving the quality of results. Just after the "Cultural Revolution", some people, especially young people, were influenced by bad social atmosphere, and some departments were eager for success, frequently demanding grades, evaluating bonuses and other practices that were not in line with scientific laws, which led to the corruption of the style of study. Performance for shoddy, fame and fortune, wanton boasting. 1978, he earnestly put forward at the Chengdu conference in chinese mathematical society: "Early publication, late evaluation." Later, it was further put forward: "Efforts are in me, and evaluation is in people." This actually puts forward the objective law of scientific development and scientific work evaluation, that is, scientific work can gradually determine its true value after historical test, which is an objective law that is independent of human subjective will. "
Hua never hides his weaknesses. As long as he can learn, he would rather expose them. When he visited Britain at the age of seventy, he changed the idiom "Don't teach others an axe" to "teach others an axe" to encourage himself. In fact, the previous sentence is that people should hide their shortcomings and not expose them. Did Hua go to college to help others with their expertise, or did he turn lectures into formalism because he didn't specialize in others? Hua chose the former, that is, "wait a minute, and you will arrive at the door." As early as the 1950s, Hua compared mathematics to playing chess in the preface of Introduction to Number Theory, calling on everyone to find a master, that is, to compete with great mathematicians. There is a rule in chess in China, that is, "A gentleman does not regret watching chess without saying a word". 198 1 year, in a speech in Huainan coal mine, Hua pointed out: "Watching chess is not a gentleman, help each other; I regret the gentleman and change my shortcomings. " It means that if you see someone else's work problems, you must speak up. On the other hand, when you find something wrong with yourself, you must correct it. These are "gentlemen" and "husbands". In view of the fact that some people retreat when they encounter difficulties and lack the spirit of sticking to the end, Hua wrote on a banner for Jintan Middle School: "People cannot say that the Yellow River will not die, but I say that the Yellow River will be stronger."
When people get old, their energy will decline, which is a natural law. Hua knows that time waits for no man. 1979 when he was in England, he pointed out: "The village is old and easy to empty, and people are old and easy to disperse. The scientific approach is to abstain from empty and scattered. I am willing to stick to it all my life. " This can also be said to be his "determination book" to fight against his aging with the greatest determination, so as to spur himself. The patient with the second myocardial infarction in Hualuosuo still insisted on working in the hospital. He pointed out: "My philosophy is not to prolong life as much as possible, but to do more work during the day." If you are ill, you should listen to the doctor and have a good rest. But his indomitable spirit is still valuable.
In a word, all of Hua's expositions are permeated with a general spirit, that is, constant struggle and continuous progress.
Zu Chongzhi (429-500) had a grandfather named Zuchang, who was an official in charge of royal architecture in Song Dynasty. Zu Chongzhi grew up in such a family and learned a lot from childhood. People all praise him as a knowledgeable young man. He especially likes studying mathematics, and he also likes studying astronomical calendars. He often observes the movements of the sun and planets and makes detailed records.
When Emperor Xiaowu of Song heard of his fame, he sent him to work in a government office specializing in academic research in Hualin Province. He is not interested in being an official, but he can concentrate more on mathematics and astronomy there.
There have been officials who studied astronomy in all previous dynasties in our country. They made calendars according to the results of astronomical research. By the Song Dynasty, the calendar had made great progress, but Zu Chongzhi thought it was not accurate enough. Based on his long-term observation, he created a new calendar called "Daming Calendar" ("Daming" is the title of Emperor Xiaowu of Song Dynasty). The number of days in each tropical year measured by this calendar (that is, the time between winter and sun in two years) is only 50 seconds different from that measured by modern science; It takes less than one second to measure the number of days for the moon to make one revolution, which shows its accuracy. In 462 AD, Zu Chongzhi requested Emperor Xiaowu of Song Dynasty to issue a new calendar, and Emperor Xiaowu called ministers to discuss it. At that time, Dai Faxing, one of the emperor's minions, stood out against it and thought that it was deviant for Zu Chongzhi to change the ancient calendar without authorization. Zu Chongzhi refuted Defarge on the spot with his own research data. Relying on the emperor's favor, Dai Faxing said arrogantly: "The calendar was formulated by the ancients and cannot be changed by future generations." Zu Chongzhi is not afraid at all. He said very seriously, "If you have a solid basis, argue it out. Don't scare people with empty talk. " Emperor Xiaowu of Song wanted to help Dai Faxing, and found some people who knew the calendar to argue with Zu Chongzhi, but Zu Chongzhi refuted them one by one. However, Emperor Xiaowu of Song still refused to issue a new calendar. It was not until ten years after Zu Chongzhi's death that his Da Ming Li was put into practice.
Although the society was very turbulent at that time, Zu Chongzhi studied science tirelessly. His greater achievement is in mathematics. He once annotated the ancient mathematics book Nine Chapters Arithmetic and wrote a book Composition. His most outstanding contribution is to get quite accurate pi. After a long and arduous study, he calculated pi between 3. 14 15926 and 3. 14 15927, becoming the first scientist in the world to calculate pi to more than seven digits.
Zu Chongzhi is a generalist in scientific inventions. He built a kind of compass, and the copper man in the car always pointed south. He also built a "Thousand-Li Ship" and tried it in Xinting River (now southwest of Nanjing). It can sail 100 Li a day. He also used hydraulic power to rotate the stone mill, pounding rice and grinding millet, which was called "water hammer mill".
In Zu Chongzhi's later years, Xiao Daocheng, who mastered the Song Guards, wiped out the Song Dynasty.
During the Northern Song Dynasty in China, there was an outstanding scientist who read widely. He was Shen Kuo (103 1 ~ 1095).
Shen Kuo, Chinese character, was born in Qiantang, Zhejiang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang) in the ninth year of Tiansheng in Song Renzong (A.D. 103 1). His father Shen Zhou worked as a local official in Quanzhou, Kaifeng and Jiangning. Mother Xu Shi is a well-educated woman.
Shen Kuo studied hard since childhood. Under the guidance of his mother, he finished reading at home at the age of fourteen. Later, he followed his father to Quanzhou, Fujian, Runzhou, Jiangsu (now Zhenjiang), Jianzhou, Sichuan (now Jianyang) and Kaifeng, the capital of China. He had the opportunity to get in touch with the society, understand the life and production of the people at that time, increase his knowledge and show his superhuman intelligence.
Shen Kuo is proficient in astronomy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, agriculture and medicine; He is also an outstanding engineer, excellent strategist, diplomat and politician. At the same time, he is knowledgeable, good at writing and proficient in other people's calendars, music, medicine, divination and so on. Meng Qian Bi Tan, written in his later years, recorded in detail the outstanding contributions of working people in science and technology and their own research results, reflecting the brilliant achievements of natural science in ancient China, especially in the Northern Song Dynasty. Meng Qian's pen talk is not only an academic treasure house in ancient China, but also occupies an important position in the history of world culture.
Japanese mathematician Kazuo Sanshi once said: People like Shen Kuo can't be found in the history of mathematics all over the world. Only China has such people. Dr Joseph Needham, a famous British expert on the history of science, said that Shen Kuo's Meng Xi Talk is the coordinate of the history of Chinese science.
Gauss is a German mathematician, astronomer and physicist. He is regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians in history, as well as Archimedes and Newton.
Gauss 1977 was born in a craftsman's family in Brunswick on April 30th, and 1955 died in G? ttingen on February 23rd. When I was a child, my family was poor, but I was extremely smart. I was educated by a noble. From 1795 to 1798, I studied at the University of G? ttingen, and 1798 transferred to Helmstadter University. The following year, he received his doctorate for proving the basic theorem of algebra. From 1807, he served as a professor at the University of G? ttingen and director of the G? ttingen Observatory until his death.
Gauss's achievements cover all fields of mathematics, and he has made pioneering contributions in number theory, non-Euclidean geometry, differential geometry, hypergeometric series, complex variable function theory, elliptic function theory and so on. He attached great importance to the application of mathematics, and emphasized the use of mathematical methods in the research of astronomy, geodesy and magnetism.
Chen Jingrun became an internationally renowned mathematician and was deeply respected by people. However, instead of being complacent, he attributed all the credit to the motherland and the people. In order to safeguard the interests of the motherland, he did not hesitate to sacrifice his personal fame and fortune.
1977 One day, Chen Jingrun received a letter from the president of the International Federation of Mathematicians, inviting him to attend the International Congress of Mathematicians. There are 3000 people present at this meeting, all of whom are world-famous mathematicians. Chen Jingrun is one of 10 mathematicians designated by the congress to give academic reports. This is a great honor for a mathematician and is of great benefit to enhancing Chen Jingrun's international reputation.
Chen Jingrun didn't make a good claim, but immediately reported to the party branch of the institute and asked the party for instructions. The Party branch reported this situation to the Academy of Sciences. The Party organization of the Academy of Sciences was cautious about this issue, because China's seat in the International Federation of Mathematicians had been occupied by Taiwan Province Province.
The leader of the hospital replied: "You are a mathematician, and the party organization respects your personal opinion. You can write back to him yourself. "
After careful consideration, Chen Jingrun finally decided to give up this rare opportunity. In his reply to the president of the International Federation of Mathematicians, he wrote: "First, China has always attached importance to developing academic exchanges and friendly relations with countries around the world. I personally thank the President of the International Federation of Mathematicians for his invitation. Second, there is only one China in the world, the only one that can represent the interests of the broad masses of people in China is People's Republic of China (PRC), and Taiwan Province Province is an inalienable part of People's Republic of China (PRC). I can't attend because Taiwan Province Province currently occupies the seat of the International Federation of Mathematicians in China. Third, if China has only one representative, I can consider attending this meeting. " In order to safeguard the dignity of the motherland, Chen Jingrun sacrificed his personal interests.
From 65438 to 0979, Chen Jingrun went to the United States for a short-term research visit at the invitation of Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies. The conditions at Princeton College are very good. In order to make full use of such good conditions, Chen Jingrun squeezed out all the time he could save, worked hard and didn't even go back to his place to eat lunch. Sometimes he goes out for a meeting and the hotel is noisy, so he hides in the bathroom to continue his research work. Because of his efforts, during his short five months in the United States, he not only attended meetings and lectures, but also finished the paper "The Minimum Prime Number in arithmetic progression", which pushed the minimum prime number from 80 to 16 at once. This research result was also the most advanced in the world at that time.
In a relatively developed country like the United States, Chen Jingrun still maintains a frugal style at home. He can get 2000 yuan from the institute a month, which can be said to be quite rich. Every noon, he never goes to the institute canteen for dinner. It's exquisite, and he can enjoy it completely, but he always eats the dry food and fruit he brings. He was so frugal that he lived in the United States for five months. Excluding rent, utilities and $65,438+0,800, he only spent $700 on meals. When he came back, * * * saved 7500 dollars.
The money was not a small sum at that time. He could have bought some high-end home appliances from abroad like others. But he gave all his money to the country. What does he think? In his own words: "Our country is not rich yet, so I can't just think about pleasure."
Chen Jingrun is such a very modest and upright person. Although he has made a name for himself, he is not complacent. He said: "I just climbed a hill on the road of science and haven't climbed the real peak yet." I have to keep working hard. "
The story of mathematicians-Sue
Su Yu 1902 was born in a mountain village in Pingyang County, Zhejiang Province in September. Although the family is poor, his parents scrimp and save, and they have to work hard to pay for his education. When he was in junior high school, he was not interested in mathematics. He thinks mathematics is too simple, and he will understand it as soon as he learns it. It can be measured that a later math class influenced his life.
That was when Su was in the third grade. He was studying in No.60 Middle School in Zhejiang Province. Teacher Yang teaches mathematics. He has just returned from studying in Tokyo. In the first class, Mr. Yang didn't talk about math, but told stories. He said: "In today's world, the law of the jungle, the world powers rely on their ships to build guns and gain benefits, and all want to eat and carve up China. The danger of China's national subjugation and extinction is imminent, so we must revitalize science, develop industry and save the nation. Every student here has a responsibility to' rise and fall in the world'. " He quoted and described the great role of mathematics in the development of modern science and technology. The last sentence of this class is: "In order to save the country and survive, we must revitalize science. Mathematics is the pioneer of science. In order to develop science, we must learn math well. "I don't know how many lessons Sue took in her life, but this lesson will never be forgotten.
Teacher Yang's class deeply touched him and injected new stimulants into his mind. Reading is not only to get rid of personal difficulties, but to save the suffering people in China; Reading is not only to find a way out for individuals, but to seek a new life for the Chinese nation. That night, Sue tossed and turned and stayed up all night. Under the influence of Teacher Yang, Su's interest shifted from literature to mathematics, and since then, she has set the motto "Never forget to save the country when reading, and never forget to save the country when reading". I am fascinated by mathematics. No matter it is the heat of winter or the snowy night in first frost, Sue only knows reading, thinking, solving problems and calculating, and has worked out tens of thousands of math exercises in four years. Now Wenzhou No.1 Middle School (that is, the provincial No.10 Middle School at that time) still treasures a Su's geometry exercise book, which is written with a brush and has fine workmanship. When I graduated from high school, my grades in all subjects were above 90.
/kloc-At the age of 0/7, Su went to Japan to study, and won the first place in Tokyo Technical School, where she studied eagerly. The belief of winning glory for our country drove Su to enter the field of mathematics research earlier. At the same time, he has written more than 30 papers, and made great achievements in differential geometry, and obtained the doctor of science degree in 193 1. Before receiving her doctorate, Su was a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics of Imperial University of Japan. Just as a Japanese university was preparing to hire him as an associate professor with a high salary, Su decided to return to China to teach with his ancestors. After the professor of Zhejiang University returned to Suzhou, his life was very hard. In the face of difficulties, Su's answer is, "Suffering is nothing, I am willing, because I have chosen the right road, which is a patriotic and bright road!" "
This is the patriotism of the older generation of mathematicians.
Hu, the first female mathematics academician in China.
Hu was born in an artistic family in Nanjing. His grandfather and father are painters. She was exposed from an early age, smart and studious, and had a strong sense of painting and music. Grandpa and Dad especially liked her. In primary school and middle school, she was not partial to subjects, and she was excellent in arts and sciences, which helped her to engage in mathematics later.
Although Hu has a wide range of hobbies, her ideal is not to be a painter, but to be admitted to a university for further study. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Hu was admitted to the Mathematics Department of this school, graduated from 1950, and applied for a master's degree from Professor Su, a famous mathematician of Zhejiang University and founder of differential geometry in China. 1952 faculty adjustment, Professor Su and her were transferred to Fudan University in Shanghai. Fudan is the birthplace of China's school of differential geometry, headed by Su, with talented people. Coupled with the encouragement and guidance of the older generation of mathematicians, as well as mutual encouragement and competition of peers, Ran Ran, a new star, Ran Ran, rose.
Hu has been engaged in the research of differential geometry for a long time and has made systematic, in-depth and creative achievements in the field of differential geometry. For example, for the deformation theory of hypersurfaces and the characteristics of constant curvature spaces, she developed and perfected the work of French differential geometry master Catan and others. In 1960- 1965, she studied the problem of homogeneous Riemannian space motion groups, gave a universal and effective method to determine the motion gap of Riemannian space, and solved the problem raised by Italian mathematician Fabini 60 years ago. She compiled this achievement into a book "Differential Geometry of Homogeneous Space" co-authored with her husband Gu Chaohao, which was praised by her peers. In her early years, she published the extension of the affine connection of * * yoke (1953), On a Feature of Projective Flat Space (1958) and On Motion Groups and Target Groups of Riemannian Space (1964) in the Journal of Mathematics, one of the highest academic journals in China. So far, she has published more than 70 papers and monographs. She has made great achievements in the research of projective differential geometry, complete motion group of Riemannian space, gauge field and so on, and has become a female mathematician with considerable influence and popularity in the world. Some of her achievements are at the international leading or advanced level. For example, in the research of harmonic mapping, her monograph "Soliton Theory and Application" develops the achievements of "Soliton Theory and Geometry Theory" and is in a leading position in the world.
1982 Hu and his collaborators won the third prize of national natural science; 1984, deputy editor-in-chief of Journal of Mathematics and vice chairman of Chinese Mathematical Society; 1989 was hired as the judge of "Chen Shengshen Mathematics Award" in China mathematics field; 1992 was elected as a member of the Department of Mathematical Physics of China Academy of Sciences (1994 was renamed as an academician). So far, Hu is the only mathematician elected as an academician.