Chapter 759: Chapter 757: Recruiting Mathematicians
“Heh, and to think you’re a mathematician, yet you use ‘a lot a lot’ as a quantifier to describe quantity,” the Pangolin nad Cardofo disdainfully said, clearly still feeling a bit annoyed by the disturbance.
But despite his words, his body honestly moved quickly, shuttling through the underground world to the surface.
The so-called “envoys” were naturally Zhang Yuan and the other humans, who had specifically co here to recruit mathematicians.
Due to the cultural uniqueness of this virtual world, there had been staff maintaining its cultural atmosphere for a very long, long ti.
Naturally, birthing such a mathematics culture was not easy. Among so many Gliese virtual worlds, there was only this one. So cosmic sociologists were very eager to research how such an excellent cultural atmosphere ca to be. Was it due to environntal hardship, or perhaps so factors in history, or maybe because of the wise ones born in this world…
This world was a research haven for many cosmic sociologists.
Their research results were naturally very complicated, with each having their own conclusion and really unable to articulate a clear reason.
It’s like out of ten thousand ordinary civilizations, a few extraordinary ones might erge by chance.
To put it in more taphysical terms, within the overall process of entropy increase, there can occasionally be instances of local entropy decrease. This virtual world was such a case.
In summary, over the last several hundred years, humans had tried to teach them more advanced mathematical knowledge, elevating elentary mathematical techniques to an advanced mathematics way of thinking. They had also taught them the basics of business, laws and regulations, basic ethics, etc., and the Glizerians easily accepted these teachings.
Now, it had finally paid off!
Zhang Yuan looked at the world bathed in the evening sun, the fiery sunset clouds stirring a lazy and comfortable mood deep within him. It was hard to believe that such an environnt had given rise to an admirable mathematics culture.
“What a strange place.”
Recruiting mathematicians had to be a willing endeavor. After all, there’s a big difference between intellectual and physical labor; forcing people to co would hardly be fun.
A staff mber beside him explained, “Professor Zhang, this world’s Glizerians number about thirteen million people, with most of the excellent mathematicians gathered near this Holy Mountain by the equator. Many math-loving tribes would relocate here. Plus, with the more abundant food supply, the population totals about five hundred and seventy thousand.”
“The best scientists here number over eight thousand, all having made achievents in mathematics… They have even created a large museum dedicated to exhibiting mathematical accomplishnts. So, this is a race that highly reveres honor.”
Zhang Yuan nodded, “Understood. However, I think we don’t need to drain this civilization of all its substance. Perhaps, given a different environnt, more prosperous living conditions, and exposure to more novelties, these Pangolins might get distracted and lose their love for mathematics. So, most of the population still needs to stay here, maintaining the traditional mathematics culture of this virtual world. We’ll just recruit a small number of talents to test the waters.”
Zhang Yuan gazed at the bustling Pangolins below, which seed to stir mories from long ago. He wondered what the real Gliese civilization was like now…
They had risen anew on a new planet and might be living sowhat austerely, perhaps?
Or maybe, the situation was even more challenging than imagined.
But the next second, he snapped back to reality and looked at the group of mathematicians that had assembled, saying loudly, “Greetings, friends from the Gliese Civilization. We’ve co here for a specific reason, sothing we would like to discuss with you.”
All the Pangolins lifted their heads.
For these pangolins, mathematics was their belief, the everything of the universe, so there were no such concepts as “divinity,” and they did not blindly worship others.
But envoys were still creatures of great reverence. Because these envoys were simply too intelligent!
Most of the mathematical knowledge had been imparted by the envoys. Otherwise, they would still be imrsed in attempting to crack the Goldbach conjecture using elentary thods!
But now, after touching upon advanced mathematics, they imdiately understood its profound and extensive nature, tossing aside elentary mathematics.
The thoughts of these pangolins were simple, whoever mastered more profound mathematics was the intelligent one, enjoying better treatnt and gaining higher status, which was only natural.
Zhang Yuan gave an impromptu speech, “Ladies and gentlen present, you are probably very curious about our human species, why we have co to this planet, and just how much knowledge we have mastered.”
The pangolins below whispered among themselves, “Is he a mathematician?”
“Might as well be…”
If Zhang Yuan couldn’t co up with anything substantial, they’d simply lose interest in listening. If he were one of those career politicians, these pangolin mathematicians would not give him any preferential treatnt just because he was human. A bunch of empty talk would only be a waste of ti.
“I can tell everyone… in the vast ocean of mathematics, even we humans have grasped only a ladle’s worth. There are still so many, many unsolved problems in the world, and one might even say, the more you know, the more you realize you do not know! Whoever masters all of mathematics, that person grasps the entire universe.”
“… In our civilization, knowledge is the primary productive force, but climbing to the peak of knowledge is not that easy, one encounters many difficulties along the way. Sotis, when one feels tired, they stop to rest, but rest too long, and you never feel like moving again. Many people are like this, really a lot, and they can’t appreciate the beauty of nature.”
“And mathematics is the crown of the natural world, the most dazzling pearl!”
These words resonated with them, praising mathematics was essentially praising mathematicians, wasn’t it? Mathematics was indeed the most impressive discipline!
“… Because the developnt of mathematics is not in steps but in waves. If old work is not as ‘interesting’ as new work, then fewer people will care about it. We don’t live in an era that has ‘fundantal mathematical problems’ like philosophy does. In the developnt of mathematics, what’s more common is forgetting, disregarding, and misunderstanding the work of others, rather than reviewing, reflecting on, and learning from work that may be unknown but could be extrely important.”
“Most mathematicians are followers of trends, not creators. To those living in the past, who mistakenly think that there is so kind of ‘fairness’ in the world of mathematics, we ask directly: Why are there so few people reading André Weil’s algebraic geotry now, and choosing to use sches instead? André Weil’s tools are still applicable to many problems!”
“So, everybody in this field knows that it is actually very tough, and most likely, there is no way to have one’s work passed down through the ages…”
This sentint elicited a lot of empathy from the pangolins. They were experiencing a touch of confusion, a reflection on their own boundless lives.
What were they climbing the peaks of mathematics for? Was it for fa, for so minor human recognition, or did they truly want to reach the summit to take a look?
Zhang Yuan returned to his topic, “…Friends, this world is vast, and above our heads is called the universe! In the universe, there are many more civilizations, so friendly and so not… Now, we humans have ford a true interstellar alliance, inviting allies to wander together in the ocean of knowledge. If anyone is interested in dedicating their life to this path, they may choose to join this alliance.”
This talk was clearly a bit profound for these pangolins. They did have so concept of what the universe was, as they could look up and see the stars.
And the educational materials provided by humans included a related astronomical knowledge system. Although not many pangolins were interested in this area, most of them loving only mathematics.
But things like an interstellar alliance were concepts completely foreign to them.
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