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 at the Civil Aviation Administration became even darker.
Chang Haonan has no doubt that if it had not been directly decided by higher-level leaders, I am afraid that C808 would not even be able to find the second launch user of Bashu Airlines.
However, this is not important anymore.
After all, the reason why a separate unit like the Civil Aviation Administration was established back then 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 coordinated and coordinated everything, and your operations were as fierce as a tiger's.
The results in the last 20 years were 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.
Therefore, the Civil Aviation Administration should soon make adjustments from a direct bureau to a secondary bureau under relevant ministries, stripping off most of its administrative functions and becoming a relatively simple business department.
No longer poses any threat.
This is why Chang Haonan just told Zhang Hongbiao that Hufei’s most important task now is to deliver orders with quality and quantity——
Although regional airliners have a population size and land area like China’s It is difficult for the country to become mainstream, but even if it only flies to some border areas and routes in the central and western regions, it is enough to support this model.
As long as it can continue to operate stably and safely for several years, with the blessing of FAA and EASA airworthiness certification, exporting is almost a matter of course.
Coupled with some orders for military platforms and special aircraft...
It is no exaggeration to say that the good times are yet to come.
After the celebration ceremony, there is naturally a routine banquet.
However, 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, the weather in Shanghai was just cool but not cold.
The breeze blows slowly, and not far away are the five passenger planes that are the protagonists of today's celebration...
It is 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 commercial operation!"
......
At the same time, on the other side of the ocean.
Massachusetts, Clay Institute of Mathematics.
Early in the morning, Langton Clay hurried into the office of Arthur Jeff, the head 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 French Academy will hold A Millennium Mathematics Conference, we have to make some noise.”
The two co-founded this institute two years ago.
Because the investor and titleholder Clay’s main business is a businessman, Jeff is responsible for the daily work of the institute.
However, the former is the sponsor 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 making a profit.
Langton Clay invested a lot of money in the research institute, partly because he was somewhat interested in mathematics, a subject that he did not understand well.
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 it has only been two years since the establishment of the institute, 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, they will also say "high praise" 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 the level is not top-notch, at least the influence should be top-notch.
"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 cannot 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 late 1999 to the first half of 2000, celebrations of the millennium were relatively normal.
But if you were still celebrating the millennium in the second half of 2000...
It would be weird.
So, there is not much time left for Clay.
Seeing the anxious look on his old friend and financial backer's face, Jeff had no choice but to start thinking.
As a mathematician, he quickly thought of a wild idea:
"Langton, maybe... we can change our thinking."
"Maybe you have heard that in One hundred years ago, in 1900, David Hilbert proposed 23 mathematical problems at the Second Congress of Mathematicians? "
In fact, Langton Clay did not listen. Said.
Of course he knew Hilbert, but that was all.
However, this did not affect his ability to understand what the other party meant.
"You mean, I...uh...our institute can also raise some mathematical problems and call on mathematicians to answer them?"
Arthur Jeff shook his head. , seems to be a little helpless to Clay's overestimation:
"Just calling will definitely not work. Hilbert was already a world-famous mathematics master in 1900. He proposed 23 mathematical problems. Naturally, someone responded, our research institute..."
Having said this, he raised his head and looked at Clay on the sofa:
"Our research institute has a name at best, not much fame... So if we want to have enough influence, we need some additions."
"You mean...a reward?"< br>
“Yes, the bigger the better.”
Jeff replied.
"Then...one hundred thousand dollars?"
Clay asked tentatively.
“Pfft——”
Jeff almost spat out the coffee he just drank.
“One hundred thousand dollars is less?”
Clay felt a little numb.
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 of tax avoidance, which means that he does not really need to lose much money.
But if there is a reward, the money will be scattered out.
“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 one million USD.”
"Hiss... 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 offer a reward."
"Secondly, since it is a reward, you only need to give money after it is solved. You don't Do you think that those mathematical problems that have been left until now will be easily solved? ”
"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, 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 just call these problems the 'Millennium Prize Problem' or the 'Millennium Mathematics Problem'?"
"You are the one who paid for it, I can call it whatever you want. No comment.”
Jeff’s eyes also shone with excitement and ambition:
“But I hope it will be up to me to decide which issues are included in the reward.”
(End of Chapter)< br>