What is the specific content of Gu Chaohao's "Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division in Life"? Read the answers

Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in Gu Chaohao's life

Wen Wei Po 2005-06-02 reporter Zhang Yongqing

The three fields of differential geometry, partial differential equations and mathematical physics constitute the The “golden triangle” in the life of Gu Chaohao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, whose research style is praised by the international mathematics community as “unique, elegant, in-depth, and varied”. So, how did he enter the glorious palace of science? How colorful is his life?

Mathematics is everywhere in life

In the eyes of ordinary people, mathematics is mysterious and profound, making it difficult for ordinary people to grasp. So what does a mathematician look like? Should we live in a towering ivory tower, or should we live in a pile of formulas and symbols? Gu Chaohao told everyone with great interest: Modern mathematics is closely related to various disciplines. It is said that mathematics is everywhere in life!

Life is accompanied by mathematics, and every day is so interesting. Taking the simplest stir-fried dishes as an example, we usually wash the bowl first and then put the stir-fried dishes into the bowl. But Gu Chaohao, who put on an apron, did some calculations and came to a "conclusion": According to the overall planning method, he should stir-fry the vegetables first and wash the dishes during the cooking time, so that the time of washing the dishes can be saved.

Even when he was ill, Mr. Gu never forgot his profession. Once he was hospitalized, one of his liver function indexes dropped very slowly. After taking blood tests for several weeks, Mr. Gu said to the nurse seriously: "Can you change the next routine test to 10 days later? Because I made a prediction based on the previous test reports. In another 10 days, I will The liver function index will return to normal. According to the original blood drawing cycle, I will have to wait for two weeks before being discharged." This sentence made the nurses laugh. Sure enough, this patient had one less blood draw. , discharged successfully 4 days in advance.

Gu Chaohao is also an "amateur typhoon forecaster". Based on the prevailing wind direction and the geometric characteristics of the typhoon, you can use a simple method to make synchronized judgments with the weather forecast, and compete to see who is more accurate and who is more timely - such a fun thing, mathematicians never tire of it.

One year, a strong typhoon was approaching the southeastern coast of my country, and the forecast said it would land in Zhejiang or Fujian. Shanghai was very nervous at that time, preparing for the typhoon to hit at night. Around noon, Gu Chaohao saw raindrops falling on the south-facing window and the wind direction was changing to the southeast, so he concluded that the typhoon had made landfall in Zhejiang and the center was moving west or northwest, so Shanghai would not be a big problem. Facts have proved that his judgment was absolutely correct.

For more than 60 years, he has been traveling on the rugged mountain road of mathematics. From differential geometry to partial differential equations, and then from partial differential equations to mathematical physics, Gu Chaohao has experienced the profoundness and abstraction of mathematics throughout his life. But from beginning to end, he never felt bored. He said that he got the greatest joy in life.

Today, Gu Chaohao is 80 years old and still works more than 8 hours a day. "I'm thinking about some new mathematical problems recently." When talking about the specific project, the old man playfully made a "confidential" gesture: "The things haven't been completed yet. I'll tell you when the results are available."

In this computer age, he still likes to use a pen and a blank piece of paper to solve difficult problems tirelessly - the mind of a mathematician is far better than that of a computer. Of course, computers are also important tools. Gu Chaohao proudly said: "As early as the 1970s, we used a 719 computer from the Department of Mathematics to calculate national defense projects. That machine was large and heavy, occupying an entire room!" < /p>

“Never stop at any time”, Gu Chaohao used this sentence to describe his nostalgia for mathematics. During the interview, he also revealed three "80-year-old wishes": the country will develop better; Fudan can successfully enter a world-class prestigious school; and he can easily work for many more years.

Gu Chaohao + Hu Hesheng = academician couple

There are two desks in a study, the husband’s desk faces the sun, and the wife’s desk is on the wall - "Obviously my position is better than hers." Gu Chaohao There was a small amount of satisfaction in the words. The study room is stacked with various documents, meeting notices, newspapers and books. The two academicians study side by side here every day and never stop moving forward.

After 48 years of marriage, Gu Chaohao still clearly remembers the first time they met: "It was in 1950. I met Hu Hesheng by chance in the library of the Department of Mathematics. She said that Mr. Su Buqing gave her a paper. She didn't understand something and wanted me to take a look at it. I said, OK, where is the paper? She said it was in the dormitory. Her dormitory was more than ten minutes away from my office, but it was already autumn. It was still very hot, and she ran to get it back out of breath. I thought this little girl was very good and willing to study. We discussed it together, and she figured out the content of the paper. This is us. **When we started discussing mathematics, she also had a good impression of me.”

Mathematics made Gu Chaohao’s love dream come true. The boy who was my classmate back then is now gray-haired. During the interview, the photographer wanted to take pictures of the couple. Hu Hesheng immediately smoothed his hair in embarrassment: "My hair was not arranged well today, and my clothes were wrong.

"Gu Chaohao added a note next to him with a smile: Hu Hesheng, who has also studied mathematics all his life and comes from a family of calligraphy and painting, cares about the matching of colors and the harmony of styles. "Every time I attend an important event, Hu Hesheng has to care about my outfit. '. As long as her hands are touched like this, she is always very energetic. ”

It is said that there is a woman behind a successful man, but Hu Hesheng “overturned” this theorem: not only do she and her husband help each other in life, but they also work hand in hand to advance in their career - she is the Chinese mathematician She is the only female academician in the world and the first Chinese woman to take the stage of NOETHER at the International Congress of Mathematicians.

I asked the two academicians if they ever thought about sacrificing one’s career when they got married. So that the other half can have more energy to make greater contributions? Gu Chaohao answered resolutely: "Never!" Both of us hope to do well in our careers. "Hu Hesheng said that for the sake of mathematics, she is willing to give up her hobbies in music and literature; for the sake of mathematics, she can get up at 4 a.m. to study.

From falling in love to staying together, 55 years of emotional accumulation, Just like the problems the couple has solved and the equations they have solved, they usually have different research fields, but when they collaborate, the high efficiency brought about by their tacit understanding often gets twice the result with half the effort. Tell her, she can tell me about the work she did. We understand each other, and we can also ask each other questions and check each other out. This is the greatest joy in life! ”

Daily life - housework = more working time

Get up at 6:30, cook some rice and boil an egg. Start work on time at 8 o'clock, and have to attend many meetings . In the evening, he replies to letters and reads graduate students’ papers. At the age of 80, Gu Chaohao’s life is still as simple as it has been for decades.

For the academician and his wife, daily life is a subtraction problem. The time I squeezed out was spent on learning. “As early as when we were newly married, I told Hu Hesheng that we should not spend too much time on housework. "Gu Chaohao said that when they lived in a simple house of 12 square meters, the couple hired an hourly worker. The aunt was from Anhui, very capable, thoughtful in everything, cooked well, and was good at needlework. She helped the couple They saved a lot of time. "My aunt worked in my house for 45 years, and later she retired and sometimes came to help. Unfortunately, she passed away last year, but she was still our friend for three generations of her family. "

Nowadays, the new part-time worker comes to the house for 1 to 2 hours a day, and other odd household chores are shared by the old couple. "When cooking a dish, the taste is secondary, and the main thing is hygiene and usefulness. Nutrition, time is of the essence. "Gu Chaohao calls cooking "self-inflicted".

Speaking of saving time, Hu Hesheng suddenly laughed and gave the most convincing example: "You know? I usually don't go to the barber shop. I usually wash my hair myself and then ask Mr. Gu to cut it short and trim it a little for me. At first, my husband said he didn't know how to cut, but I said don't be afraid, my requirements are not high. He gradually learned it and praised this method as a good way to save a lot of time and trouble! "

Living a simple life does not mean a lack of interest. Every day, Gu Chaohao reads "Reference News", "Wen Wei Po", "Science Times" and other newspapers. Some time ago, Lien Chan and Soong Chuyu visited the mainland of China. , and he never missed relevant TV reports. Speaking of the World Table Tennis Championships held in Shanghai during the May Day holiday, the old man was even more excited: "I like to watch the Chinese people's strengths the most, such as table tennis and women's volleyball! "

In the eyes of the husband, the wife has a more careful attitude towards life. "See the flowers all over the house? It's all taken care of by her. This pot of peonies has been blooming for three months! "On the balcony, Hu Hesheng's favorite sunflowers were sprouting. Seeing the flowers in full bloom, the old man was also very happy. In order to take care of these beautiful "little girls", Hu Hesheng specially invented a "red scarecrow" - a red plastic bag. Pricked on a pole to drive away sparrows

When she was tired from research work, Hu Hesheng also liked to listen to songs. As early as when she was a graduate student at Zhejiang University, she participated in the Zhejiang University chorus. The nickname of "Beautiful Voice". Sometimes I forget a line in those ancient lyrics, and the husband would say: "It doesn't matter, I remember it. "He used his singing to fill in a piece of the jigsaw puzzle for his wife.

Mathematics × literature = rich life

I have always felt that scientists and poets are two people with completely different temperaments. . Poets are romantic, free-thinking, and unconstrained; while scientists pay attention to rigor, solidity, and meticulousness. However, Gu Chaohao has made a successful multiplication that makes his life extraordinarily rich.

During the interview. , Mr. Gu recited a poem to me with great interest: "The steam invites the space, and the snow reaches the peak." A flood shocked the rivers and seas, turning into rain and following the east wind. "Literally, this is a realistic description of viewing the Rhine Falls; in fact, Gu Chaohao's ideals at different stages of his life are contained in it - when he was young, he longed to fly high; as he grew older, he hoped to accumulate more and become thinner. . In middle age, his ideal is to have a successful career and be influential in the domestic and foreign mathematics circles; now that he is 80 years old, he also hopes to contribute his meager contribution to the cause of Eastern culture and mathematics.

When talking about his experience in writing poetry, Gu Chaohao is a little shy: "I have actually not received formal training in old-style poetry, and Wenzhou dialect, Shanghainese dialect and Mandarin are often mixed together, so I can't always master Pingchu. He has never dared to show his works to Teacher Su Buqing. "For him, poetry is a matter of interest and self-entertainment. It is a great pleasure to express the things he encountered in a certain period of time in a few words. !

Gu Chaohao also summarized the "theoretical basis" for the connection between mathematics and classical poetry: "You see, any science requires language expression. From this point of view, literary accomplishment is necessary for a scientific worker. Indispensable. In addition, some literary works are very logical. I learned to use mathematical proof by contradiction in middle school. Maybe it has something to do with my reading of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms." At this point, Mr. Gu laughed. He added: Mathematics and classical literature both attach great importance to symmetry, and many works contain a wealth of scientific ideas.

Therefore, Gu Chaohao often warns young people not to focus on theory over literature, and not to deal solely with numbers, formulas, axioms, and theorems. "On the one hand, literature and writing can enrich life, and on the other hand, it is also beneficial to the development of mathematical thinking!"

In addition to expressing his feelings through poetry, poetry is also a rose and gift from Gu Chaohao to his wife. In 1991, Hu Hesheng was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her husband wrote a poem to express his congratulations: "Studying hard in the cold night, burning the lamp before dawn. Geometry is truly taught, and physics is a new chapter. The red makeup does not need to be taken care of, and the beauty is naturally radiant. The academy has a famous name,* **Celebrate the sunny day."

Lifetime achievements ÷ teaching = students all over the world

I go to Fudan University twice a week to participate in mathematics, physics and geometry classes composed of students and young teachers. seminar. "I like being with young people very much. Their discussions are very interesting. From mathematics to astrophysics, new knowledge, new results and inspiration are constantly emerging." Therefore, Gu Chaohao and Hu Hesheng still teach three doctoral students.

Scientific research and teaching are the horizontal and vertical axes of Gu Chaohao’s “life equation”. He has been teaching basic mathematics courses for undergraduates for a long time, and has also taught many specialized courses. At an academic seminar on the 15th of this month, Gu Chaohao summed up his teaching experience in public: "Guide young people to do the most promising research, and inspire them with the best content and methods." His voice was not loud, but it made Taiwanese Every student was moved by it.

In today’s scientific world, some mentors “justifiably” regard students’ achievements as their own. Hong Jiaxing, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Fudan Institute of Mathematics, disagrees with this "strange phenomenon": "When I was Mr. Gu's student, the determination of the thesis topic and the specific methods were all guided by him, but he never signed the paper. " Another doctoral student, Zhou Zixiang, said with a smile that Mr. Danggu's students were a bit "tired" and had to be particularly serious. Because he is very serious in his studies and his mind works very fast. If any student made a slight mistake in his discussion speech, he would point it out immediately.

A lifetime of achievements turns into peaches and plums all over the world. Today, the Department of Mathematics and the Institute of Mathematics at Fudan have become internationally renowned research institutions. Among the students who have graduated or studied here, there have been 5 academicians of the Academy of Sciences and 5 academicians of the Academy of Engineering, all of whom have been carefully cultivated and influenced by Gu Chaohao to varying degrees. . Gu Chaohao told reporters modestly and proudly: "Back then, my teacher Su Buqing said to me: 'I have trained students who surpass me, and you should also train students who surpass you' - he is leading my army! Now! Looking back, I think, to a certain extent, I can give an account to Mr. Su!”

Mathematical exploration is difficult: it is like groping in high mountains, sometimes the road is obscure, and sometimes there are twists and turns. Mathematics is even more abstract and so far removed from real life. No wonder some young people today are not optimistic about this basic subject. Even if you get started, you usually use the mathematics department as a "springboard", and then go to an insurance company, a bank, or a computer company...

Although changing careers is also one of the ways out, Gu Chaohao still loudly says: Mathematics is a major for all majors. The basics and tools of science! Shanghai needs mathematics! China needs mathematics! He especially hopes that talented and ambitious young people will devote themselves to this subject.

"All I did was pick up a few scattered shells on the beach, and put my hope in young people!"