HPDBC Chapter 37 Mathematical Modeling Competition
Chapter 37 Mathematical Modeling Competition
As soon as he finished speaking, the blueprints for the electromagnetic railgun were instantly broken down into thousands of independent modules on the huge virtual screen and projected onto Newton and Tesla respectively.
The three men's research thus began.
However, the ideal was soon crushed by the harsh reality.
While a dedicated research laboratory provides top-of-the-line equipment and unlimited materials, it cannot create technological details that are ahead of their time out of thin air.
"No way!" Tesla irritably threw a superconducting coil model on the ground. The model dissipated into countless points of light the instant it touched the ground.
"My flywheel energy storage system can theoretically release megawatts of power within nanoseconds, but the electromagnetic pulse generated at the moment of energy release directly interferes with the entire control system, causing all signals to become disordered!"
On the other hand, Newton also encountered a bottleneck.
A complex model of the track section floated in front of him, covered with densely packed stress analysis cloud diagrams.
"The toughness and high-temperature resistance of materials are contradictory." Newton's voice was tinged with fatigue. "I tried hundreds of alloy ratios, but they either couldn't withstand the high-temperature ablation when plasma was ejected, or they would undergo irreversible plastic deformation due to the Lorentz force under the confinement of a strong magnetic field."
One problem is energy, and the other is materials.
The two most crucial links have both fallen into a dead end.
Lu Feng looked at the two big shots who were in trouble, but did not urge them.
He knew very well that technical challenges of this magnitude could not be overcome overnight.
"Gentlemen, let's take it slow." Lu Feng's voice was calm, with a reassuring quality. "Rome wasn't built in a day. We can treat this project as a long-term research topic."
He walked over to Tesla and pointed to the complex flywheel energy storage system model.
"Perhaps we can change our approach and not pursue instantaneous peak power, but instead form a time-controllable pulse waveform through the series discharge of a multi-stage capacitor array, using a longer duration to compensate for the lack of power."
He then turned to Newton.
"As for materials, could we not limit ourselves to a single alloy, but design a composite track structure? The inner layer could use a high-melting-point tungsten-rhenium alloy, the outer layer could use a high-strength titanium alloy for support, and liquid metal could be injected in the middle for circulating cooling."
The two scientific giants simultaneously stopped what they were doing and fell into deep thought.
Although Lu Feng's proposed solution could not fundamentally solve the problem, it opened up new avenues of thought for them.
"Composite structure...liquid metal cooling..." Newton murmured to himself, his eyes regaining their light.
"Pulse waveform control...that's interesting." Tesla stroked his chin and began to reconstruct his circuit model.
Watching the two big shots re-engage in their fervent calculations, Lu Feng quietly withdrew from the laboratory.
Consciousness returned to reality; the library's closing music had already begun.
He packed his bag, walked out of the library, and just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, his cell phone in his pocket started vibrating violently.
When I took it out, I saw it was Professor Ye Guodong's number.
Lu Feng walked to a sycamore tree and pressed the answer button.
"Hello, Teacher Ye."
"Lu Feng, did I disturb you?" Ye Guodong's hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone.
"No, I just came from the library."
"That's good. So, do you have time now? Could you come to the math department office? Professor Xu and I are both here, and we'd like to discuss something with you in person."
Lu Feng thought for a moment, since going back to the dormitory would just mean watching Zhang Wei and the others memorize formulas anyway, he might as well go and see what new tricks these two professors had up their sleeves.
"Okay, I'll be right there."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Feng turned and walked towards the mathematics department office building.
Ten minutes later, he knocked on the door of office 412.
"Please come in."
Lu Feng pushed open the door and entered the office. Ye Guodong and another middle-aged man who looked to be around fifty years old were sitting on the sofa drinking tea.
Upon seeing Lu Feng enter, Ye Guodong immediately put down his teacup, quickly stepped forward to greet him, and warmly extended both hands.
"Lu, we've finally met in person!" He gripped Lu Feng's hand tightly, looking him up and down. "We've been chatting on the phone the whole time, but seeing you in person today, you're indeed a handsome and energetic young man!"
"You flatter me, Professor Ye," Lu Feng replied politely.
At this moment, another middle-aged man also stood up, a self-deprecating smile on his face.
"Speaking of which, I, your calculus teacher, was actually the last to realize you were such a talented individual. It was a professor from another department who discovered you first. Look at how I handled this; I've really neglected my duty!"
This statement was somewhat subtle, carrying a hint of a joke and a touch of probing.
Lu Feng immediately realized that this must be Professor Xu Yun, who teaches advanced mathematics.
He smiled and responded in an extremely natural tone.
"Professor Xu, you are right. Talented horses are common, but discerning mentors are rare. It is my honor to have met two mentors who are willing to appreciate me at the same university."
In short, he flattered both professors without making himself look bad, and even compared himself to a thoroughbred horse.
The slightly awkward atmosphere in the office instantly became much more comfortable after these words.
Xu Yun and Ye Guodong exchanged a glance, both seeing undisguised admiration in each other's eyes.
This kid is not only smart, but his emotional intelligence is also ridiculously high.
"Alright, alright, don't stand, sit down." Ye Guodong pulled Lu Feng to sit on the sofa and personally poured him a cup of tea.
"I called you here today because there's something important to discuss." Ye Guodong's expression became more serious.
"The notice for the provincial college student mathematical modeling competition has been issued."
He handed a printed document to Lu Feng.
"This competition is highly prestigious, a Category A event. The award certificate will be extremely helpful for your future graduate school applications and studies abroad. We'd like to ask if you'd be interested in representing the school in this competition?"
Lu Feng took the document and quickly glanced at it.
Sure enough, it's another great opportunity to boost learning and emotional points.
Moreover, isn't mathematical modeling his forte? Whether it's the control algorithm for exoskeletons or the ballistic calculation of electromagnetic guns, they are essentially all about mathematical modeling.
"No problem, I'll participate," Lu Feng replied without the slightest hesitation.
"Great!" Ye Guodong slapped his thigh. "I knew you wouldn't miss an opportunity like this!"
He went on to explain, "For this competition, we are preparing to assemble an elite team. In addition to you, we have also selected five of the top students in mathematics and programming from among the juniors and seniors."
"The competition is divided into three parts: one group is responsible for building a mathematical model based on the problem, another group is responsible for implementing the algorithm and data processing using programming, and the last group is responsible for writing the final analysis paper."
"Your task is to be the core of the entire team and responsible for the most critical modeling part."
Lu Feng understood.
To put it simply, it means making him the captain and leading the team in matches.
"I understand. When does the training camp start?"
"Next Monday," Ye Guodong said, "I will gather all the team members together and explain the rules and precautions of the competition to you in detail."
After the matter was settled, Lu Feng chatted with the two professors for a few more minutes about his experiences learning advanced mathematics, and then got up to take his leave.
A brief silence fell over the office as Lu Feng walked away.
Xu Yun picked up her teacup, blew on it to cool it, and spoke with some concern.
"Old Ye, do you really think it can work?"
"Mathematical modeling has always been a weak point at the University of Hong Kong. The best result in previous years was only a third prize in the province. We never even got a ticket to the national competition."
"Is it a bit too much to make a freshman the core member this year?"
Ye Guodong walked to the window, watching Lu Feng's receding figure downstairs, a confident smile curving his lips.
He turned his head and looked at Xu Yun, whose face was full of worry.
"I believe him."