...
The School of Sciences couldn’t find a topology expert, and even the familiar Edward Witten couldn’t be trusted.
Zhao Yi had no choice but to seek external help.
The dostic academic circle, especially the mathematics circle, is not large. He asked Zhou Li and was introduced to a reliable person, Professor Zhou Youjin from Shuimu University.
In the dostic mathematics circle, Zhou Youjin was not very famous, probably because he had only a few achievents, and they were all in ’dostic obscure subjects.’
In fact, Zhou Youjin is very outstanding. His research on topological space structure was published in the four major mathematical journals, including the most difficult "Acta Mathematica". Shuimu University officially congratulated him when his research was published. However, because topology is too obscure in the dostic mathematics circle, once it passes, it passes.
Now, Zhou Youjin is still engaged in topology research. He offers a topology course for postgraduates at Shuimu University, silently continuing his research.
He is also a low-key person.
After making an appointnt with Zhou Youjin, Zhao Yi specifically went to the mall to buy a gift and went straight to Shuimu University to Zhou Youjin’s office.
He initially thought soone would co to greet him: Shuimu University was always very enthusiastic about him, especially a group of mathematical researchers, including Qiu Chengwen, who always led the Mathematics Science Center, was always trying to poach him.
In fact, there was no one.
Zhao Yi went straight to Zhou Youjin’s office and ran into a middle-aged man in the corridor on the second floor who seed like a teacher. The man looked at Zhao Yi and asked,"Are you a postgraduate student under Professor Zhou?"
"Ah... yes!"
Zhao Yi imdiately nodded in response.
Looking at the gift in Zhao Yi’s hand, the middle-aged teacher frowned slightly and said, "Isn’t it inappropriate to give gifts? Professor Zhou never accepts any presents from his students, whether academic or otherwise. I advise you to be realistic, relying on gifts and connections will not work."
He shook his head and continued, "You can do what you want, I don’t care. Just think about it. By the way, Professor Zhou has been in there for a while. He might be doing so research, so be careful."
He ant not to disturb Zhou Youjin.
After listening to the ’lecture’ helplessly, Zhao Yi nodded for the sake of being low-key, and added, "Professor Zhou asked to co."
"Go on."
The middle-aged teacher nodded towards the direction of the office and then wondered to himself, "This postgraduate student is really young, looks only about twenty, very young-faced, but why would he think of giving a gift? The students these days are too practical. But I think I’ve seen him before...?"
Scratching his chin in thought, he continued, "He’s a student under Professor Zhou, so it’s probable that he’s been here before? That’s true, I’ve seen him before."
On the other side.
Zhao Yi knocked and entered the office.
Zhou Youjin warmly welcod him in, poured him the prepared tea, and asked curiously, "I didn’t understand from the phone call, what made you decide to study topology?"
Zhao Yi replied, "This discipline is very important. I was researching Fermat’s Last Theorem and felt that advanced topology might be helpful. Furthermore, there’s also the study of multidinsional spaces, naly theoretical physics, in which I have a collaboration with Edward Witten, which should also be useful, right?"
He wasn’t sure about the last point.
Zhou Youjin listened and kept nodding in agreent with a smile, feeling very pleased. He is usually a low-key person, like now, Zhao Yi wanted to understand advanced topology, especially visiting his office.
If this were anyone else, they might brag a bit.
That’s Zhao Yi!
The mathematical genius who proved Goldbach Conjecture with two thods and pre-confird the ’Fields’ dal, actually ca to visit him and ask him math problems.
That’s sothing to brag about!
Zhou Youjin didn’t think so, he wasn’t that kind of high-profile person, but he was still very happy in his heart and felt a sense of accomplishnt as if his research was being recognized.
So Zhou Youjin was very generous when discussing topology, not only diligently answering Zhao Yi’s questions, but also explaining his own research in detail.
The two of them talked for over two hours.
When they ca back to their senses, they realized they had spent such a long ti talking. A whole pot of tea was consud.
Zhou Youjin looked at the ti and suggested, "Should we go have lunch? We can eat while we talk. There’s a restaurant on the west side of the campus that I often visit. It has private rooms and the food is pretty decent."
"Sure."
The two of them went out together.
At the entrance of the building.
The middle-aged teacher in the hallway was chatting with two professors from the Mathematics Departnt. They had just run into each other. It was lunchti after classes so the teachers were heading back to their offices.
The middle-aged teacher saw his acquaintances and started gossiping about his encounter, primarily that ’a graduate student was giving Zhou Youjin a gift.’
The two professors were very interested when they heard this. Zhou Youjin was a low-key person and seldom had gossips about him, good or bad, circulating.
The middle-aged teacher talked about it and described Zhao Yi’s appearance. When he turned his head, he happened to see Zhou Youjin and Zhao Yi talking and laughing as they walked out.
"That—is—the—student!" He suddenly turned around, tipping his head backward in a signal, and whispered in a drawn-out voice.
The two professors imdiately looked over.
Zhou Youjin was walking with a young man who looked about twenty.
The young man had neatly cropped hair and seed very confident talking to Zhou Youjin. It seed more like an exchange between equals, not like the relationship between a student and a teacher.
The young man looked very familiar.
No, wait!
He looked very familiar. He absolutely knew him, he seed like a celebrity, and he was a top mathematician...
Isn’t that Zhao Yi!
The two professors had both t Zhao Yi in person. They recognized him at once. Their reactions were exactly the sa. They both stared wide-eyed at the middle-aged teacher.
One of them said incredulously, "That’s the postgraduate student you ntioned who gave Zhou Youjin a gift, struggling academically, likely to fail his graduation, and wants to use connections and pull strings?"
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