HPDBC Chapter 105 The Marathon with No End in Sight
Chapter 105 The Marathon with No End in Sight
"Su Hao".
"What's wrong, teacher?"
"That proof of the Four Color Theorem, have you been secretly working on it ever since we first met, behind my back?"
Shen Yuxuan stared intently at him, the scene of his first meeting with this kid many years ago flashing through his mind.
At that time, Su Hao's research on this topic had already made considerable progress in a systematic manner.
If we trace back from that point in time...
Good heavens, all told, this kid has probably put in nearly ten years of effort into this!
"Yes." Su Hao nodded honestly.
Upon hearing this affirmative answer, Shen Yuxuan's heart was instantly filled with an indescribable rage.
Half of this anger was deep self-reproach:
These past few days, he's been frantically questioning himself, wondering if it was because of some of the guidance he gave in the past...
That's how they unintentionally dragged this carefree child into the abyss of the Four Color Theorem.
The other half, however, felt intense regret:
As a teacher, what have I been doing all these years?
They were so blind that they couldn't stop Su Hao from wasting his most precious youth on a world-class problem that was widely considered to be "unnecessary to continue researching"!
Seeing Shen Yuxuan's extremely serious expression, Su Hao's previously smiling face also tightened.
"Why? Why do you absolutely have to solve this theorem?!"
Nearly ten years!
How many decades does one have in a lifetime?!
Shen Yuxuan could not understand Su Hao's almost obsessive obsession with the Four Color Theorem.
This is clearly a problem that computers have already proven using brute force through exhaustive search!
Although the conclusion isn't exactly elegant, it has been proven!
Is it really necessary to get bogged down in a tedious and thankless task and painstakingly work out a purely mathematical proof?
Faced with the questioning, Su Hao did not back down in the slightest.
He raised his head, his clear eyes staring intently at Shen Yuxuan.
"teacher."
"What?"
"Don't even mention ten years, even if I have to dedicate my entire life to proving the Four Color Theorem!"
This is Su Hao's inherent stubbornness.
Once he sets his sights on a goal, no matter how reckless or futile it may seem to others, he will never back down even a single step!
"No, give me a reason!" Shen Yuxuan felt his blood pressure rising.
"Because if we can't even solve problems at this level..."
I'm afraid I'll live a mediocre life, accomplishing nothing.
"...What did you say?"
This unexpected, even absurd, answer caused an uncontrollable surge of inexplicable panic in Shen Yuxuan's heart.
Before Shen Yuxuan could refute, Su Hao counted on his fingers, reciting the names of dishes as if they were his own treasures:
"When Newton was twenty-three years old, he had already laid the foundation for calculus, optics and the law of universal gravitation, thus opening the curtain on classical mechanics."
Pascal proved the conic section theorem at the age of sixteen, and at nineteen he invented the first mechanical calculator in human history.
When Gauss was twenty years old, he had already given a perfect proof of the fundamental theorem of algebra.
Galois founded group theory at a young age, directly elevating the dimension of algebra.
And then there's Abel, who died young at the age of twenty-six...
But look at it now, everyone in the world who makes a living from mathematics, who doesn't look up to his name?
Upon hearing this string of resounding names, Shen Yuxuan shook his head in anguish.
The problem is, times have changed!
From any perspective, Su Hao's outburst at this moment appears extremely immature and irrational.
"Can we directly compare that era of epic battles with the present?!"
Shen Yuxuan immediately retorted,
"Andrew Wiles dedicated half his life to proving Fermat's Last Theorem, an achievement that has shaken the ages!"
But this doesn't mean he's greater than Euler in the history of mathematics!
Historically, Euler also challenged Fermat's Last Theorem, but ultimately failed.
Is this because Euler lacked intelligence and ability?
Absolutely not!
That's because before the new edifice of modern mathematical theory rises from the ground, it's a wall of sighs that no mortal can possibly climb over!
Shen Yuxuan took a deep breath and stared intently into Su Hao's eyes:
"Mathematics is a marathon with no end in sight, and it is definitely not a sprint that exhausts your life!"
Some profound problems may not be solved even after a generation or even several generations have spent their entire lives.
Because every era has its own insurmountable academic boundaries and limits of achievement!
You're being incredibly reckless; you're just being ridiculous!
They have been silently and persistently working on problems like the Four Color Theorem, which have already been declared "dead" for many years.
Trying to force the final proof through days and nights of non-stop work, like running a 100-meter sprint, is extremely dangerous!
Shen Yuxuan's tone was filled with heartfelt sorrow.
He was deeply concerned about the research tendency of "classical heroism" shown in Su Hao!
What is the current state of the mathematics community?
It's no longer the classical era of hundreds of years ago, when a genius would sit at his desk, using only a kerosene lamp and a pile of broken paper and pens, to deduce groundbreaking results!
The landscape of modern mathematics is vast and profound, and the most urgent and core ability of contemporary mathematicians has long become the ability to "teamwork"!
A large research group composed of dozens or even hundreds of top scholars works together from different sub-branches such as topology, algebraic geometry, and number theory to tackle a single problem!
This is the most mature basic paradigm of industrialization in modern academia!
If working alone is feasible, why would Elijah Kron, hailed as the most brilliant mind in human history, go to such great lengths, spend huge sums of money, and search the world to build his super research team?
But this child, barely thirteen years old, single-handedly spent several years researching a problem that was considered a dead end, all by himself...
The most outrageous thing is... he actually managed to make it in the end!
This is simply a miracle!
But so what? In academia, miracles are the least reliable thing.
What will happen next time?
Will God always favor him?
Will he have this incredible luck every time he goes on?
Shen Yuxuan expressed deep doubt and even pessimism about this.
"Teacher, you are right. They did achieve the ultimate accomplishments of their time."
Su Hao listened quietly, his tone remaining calm.
"What I mean is, since I was born in this era, I also want to achieve something that belongs to my time!"
The more Shen Yuxuan listened, the more suffocated he felt in his chest, his blood rushing to his head. He couldn't hold back any longer and suddenly raised his voice:
"What on earth is going on in your head?! How can you be so stubborn?!"
In this era, how can one person single-handedly challenge those world-class conjectures?
That's something only a brainless idiot would do!
Promise me you'll never do something so stupid again!
This isn't research at all; you're simply wasting your precious talent and time!
Shen Yuxuan was trembling with anger because he knew better than anyone else:
As long as Su Hao follows the established procedures, he will surely create great academic achievements that will change the course of human civilization!
But the prerequisite is that he can't die on the way!
The modern mathematical system is so complex and highly subdivided that it is impossible to go far by relying solely on individual heroism and reckless attacks.
If we let this kid continue to act so recklessly...
That talent, which even the heavens would envy, will sooner or later be completely exhausted by this kind of closed-door work, ultimately leading to a miserable end where he is as good as dead and fades into obscurity!
"Teacher," Su Hao suddenly interrupted him.
"I'm listening," Shen Yuxuan said, panting heavily.
"If I really am the kind of unparalleled genius you just praised, and I really possess that exaggerated talent that is said to be 'once in a century'..."
Su Hao met Shen Yuxuan's gaze, which was flushed with excitement, without flinching.
"Then there's absolutely no way I couldn't solve something as simple as the Four Color Theorem, right?"