An apartment near the University of Bonn.
Professor Stix, who was about to invite Professor Schulz out for a drink, spoke with surprise on his face.
"Are you … planning to go to a conference?"
If he remembered correctly, there shouldn't be any academic conferences worth attending recently.
"No." Schulz answered the question concisely. He chose a jacket from the closet and stuffed it into the suitcase. He then casually replied, "This is not a conference, it's an invitation from Professor Lu. I plan to go to China and discuss some academic matters with him. "
"China? Professor Lu? " Stix was slightly stunned. He hesitated and said, "But at the last conference, didn't Professor Lu say that he would not consider studying mathematics for the time being?"
"He did say that, but it doesn't matter." Schulz smiled and said, "His withdrawal is a loss for the mathematics world. Now he has returned to his best field, number theory. Anyway, I think this is a good start."
Stix asked curiously, "Can I ask what the problem is?"
"The ABC conjecture."
"It's actually the ABC conjecture …"
With an incredible expression on his face, Stix whispered, "But it makes sense. Mathematics problems are probably no longer a challenge for him. Only this kind of problem that doesn't seem to be solved by modern mathematics can arouse his interest."
After closing the suitcase, Schulz looked at him and asked.
"Do you want to go together? You're an expert in number theory. "
Stix shook his head and said, "Forget it, I don't know him very well, and he didn't invite me … I wish you a good time over there, and I hope to hear good news from the other side of the world."
Schulz said with a smile.
"That's for sure."
…
Just when Schulz had set off for China, Shinichi Mochizuki, who was sitting in the terminal at Kyoto International Airport on the other side of the world, was dozing off with his chin buried in the collar of his trench coat.
Just then, his phone's alarm suddenly rang, waking him up from his sleep.
"Is it time already?"
Mochizuki rubbed his nose and was about to get up from the chair when his eyes suddenly fell on the TV screen on the ceiling of the terminal.
The TV was showing the news of NHK.
Sitting in the studio, the female host used a beautiful voice to broadcast the latest news.
"… Recently, the China's Mars landing office held a press conference, at which it announced the major discoveries of research projects related to the Mars landing program. At the press conference, the Chinese spokesman announced that their scientific research team had accidentally discovered clastic rock veins that were suspected to be formed by biological deposition in the rock formation 120 meters deep on Mars. "
On the TV screen, the scene switched from the studio to the press conference.
A spokesman in formal attire stood in front of the camera, facing the dense microphones and cameras, and solemnly repeated the narration of the news host in the studio.
In addition, the spokesperson also disclosed.
According to carbon isotope detection analysis, these biological clastic rocks were formed about 2 to 2.5 billion years ago.
If this research is true, this discovery will not only become strong evidence that Mars once had signs of life, but it will also reveal to humans what the ecosystem looked like in the Proterozoic era two billion years ago, when the Martian atmosphere had not been blown away by the solar wind.
Prior to this, the academic community had always held two completely different views on whether there was a complete ecosystem on Mars …
"Aliens?"
Shinichi Mochizuki looked at the news on the TV and muttered to himself.
Sounds interesting.
But …
It doesn't seem to have anything to do with me.
Just when he was thinking about this, there was suddenly an excited discussion next to him.
"There are creatures on Mars?"
"Amazing …"
"I don't know when our astronauts can go up."
"It's too difficult … NASA failed, let alone us. Sigh, if it weren't for Professor Lu, they might not have been able to send people up. "
"Do you think they actually saw Martians there? It's just not publicized. "
"How is that possible … After all, this is a specimen from billions of years ago."
It seems that I'm not the only one who thinks this is interesting.
Shinichi Mochizuki took one last look at the time in the lower right corner of the TV. He indifferently picked up the suitcase beside the seat and walked quickly toward the boarding gate …
…
Jin Ling University.
An office at the end of the corridor of the mathematics department laboratory building.
"Your working environment is much cleaner than mine." Standing in Lu Zhou's office, Schulz said in an envious tone, "I can hardly find a place to move. My assistant complains to me the most that I don't know which piece of paper I need and which one I don't need … The end result is that everything is piled up there, and no one uses it at all."
Lu Zhou didn't know if this was a compliment, but he smiled awkwardly.
To be honest, the reason why his office was clean wasn't because of his good habits. It was purely because he hadn't been here much this year. It was only recently that he showed up at school a little more often.
Standing next to him, Perelman, who had just arrived, glanced at Schulz with some surprise. He then looked at Lu Zhou and muttered, "I just said it casually, I didn't expect you to actually find him."
"I just said it casually, I didn't expect you to actually find him."
"There's such a small episode?" Schulz looked at Perelman unexpectedly. The expression on his face was a little unexpected. He said with a smile, "It seems that I have to thank you."
Perelman: "No, I said, I just said it casually."
"Whether it's casually or not, we are standing here for the same purpose now." Looking at the two old friends, Lu Zhou clapped his hands and said with a smile, "So, let's not waste time on small talk and reminisce. We will have plenty of time to eat later."
"I agree." Schulz said in a joking tone, "I heard that Professor Lu has made a new discovery on the ABC conjecture. I bought the latest and most expensive flight, and I immediately flew over from North Rhine."
"I'm afraid it's not a new discovery, it's just a little idea." Lu Zhou smiled embarrassedly and continued, "I have to start with Shinichi Mochizuki's 500-page paper."
"Shinichi Mochizuki's paper?" He didn't expect Lu Zhou to use that paper as the opening remarks of the discussion. Schulz raised his eyebrows slightly and said hesitantly, "With all due respect, there is nothing to discuss about that thing. My collaborators and I proved it wrong a few years ago."
"I know, I have also read your paper that refutes him. It is very well written."
Clearing his throat, Lu Zhou picked up a marker from the table and walked to the whiteboard next to him. After a pause, he continued, "… Obviously, there is a problem with his paper, and the problem is not small. There is no doubt about this. But when I re-studied his paper the day before yesterday, I found something very interesting. "
Although there was a disapproving expression on his face, Schulz noticed that Lu Zhou had picked up the pen. After thinking about it, he didn't say what was in his mind. Instead, he quietly waited for him to continue.
The same was true for Perelman. The expression on his face didn't change. He just stared intently at the pen in Lu Zhou's hand.
His intuition told him that Lu Zhou must have found something incredible, which was why he invited Schulz here from thousands of miles away.
Regardless of whether it meant the proof of the ABC conjecture, it was worth his attention.
And in addition, his intuition also told him that …
Once he missed a moment, even with his mathematical ability, it was difficult to say whether he could keep up with Lu Zhou's jaw-dropping thinking speed …
"Inference 3.12 is the core of the entire paper. There is no doubt about this. It changes the ABC conjecture from an abstract mathematical concept to a specific inequality related to elliptic curves.
"However, the root of the problem is also here —"
Just when Lu Zhou had just reached the most critical moment, a dramatic scene suddenly happened.
A burst of swift footsteps came from the corridor outside.
Soon, after a knock on the door, the half-closed door was pushed open.
When Lu Zhou saw the two exaggerated nostrils that appeared at the door, he was about to write the first line of calculations on the whiteboard. He was stunned.
But …
Obviously, someone was more surprised than him.
"Mochizuki?"
"Schulz?"
The two people who looked at each other were stunned on the spot.
Gradually, the atmosphere began to become a little subtle.
Staring at each other, the expressions on their faces stiffened at the same time.
Dean Qin finally caught up with Shinichi Mochizuki's footsteps and walked to the door of the office. He held the door frame and took a breath. He was about to introduce the visiting well-known scholar of Kyoto University to Lu Zhou when he noticed Professor Schulz and Perelman standing in the office.
Thinking of the incident that caused a stir in the mathematics community some time ago, this old man who was well-versed in the ways of the world instantly smelled the sparks in the air.
"Haha, I didn't expect you all to be here …"
Dean Qin touched the back of his head and smiled embarrassedly. He coughed and spoke quickly.
"This is Shinichi Mochizuki … Um, you guys talk, I won't introduce you."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man turned around and slipped away without looking back.
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