Nigeria, Ekiti State, Federal University of Ekiti.
Professor Enoch, who was standing in the classroom, was not in a good mood.
Perelman's Poincaré conjecture was also published on arXiv. Lu Zhou's proof of Goldbach's conjecture was also recognized by the academic community. However, his thesis was thrown into the "general mathematics" category.
Recently, he realized that this category had become a garbage dump.
In the classroom, a student urged him to prove Riemann's conjecture.
"Professor Enoch, can Riemann's conjecture be used to solve Goldbach's conjecture?"
Professor Enoch said casually, "Yes, of course. Goldbach's conjecture is very easy. The distribution of prime numbers is closely related to a carefully constructed Riemann ζ (s) function. It is essentially a prime number problem. With my Riemann ζ (s) function system, it only takes three hours to solve Goldbach's conjecture."
A student asked, "What about Hilbert's 23 questions? Professor Enoch, it should be easy for you, right? "
"Of course, it can also be easily solved," said Professor Enoch in a relaxed tone. He then continued, "Riemann's conjecture is the eighth question of Hilbert's 23 questions, but it is already shrouded in my ζ (s) function system. It's like 'Rhino' Tyson, invincible in the ring. "
The student said, "Professor Enoch, it's time to solve this problem."
"When the time is right, I will consider doing it, but now is not the time. Remember, my children, the real strong are not interested in solving specific problems. They don't even bother to do it because that's what second-rate mathematicians like Gauss and Euler do, "said Professor Enoch. He then waved his hand and said," Okay, this class is over. Your homework is to submit a thesis. The topic of the thesis is to prove Goldbach's conjecture based on my ζ (s) function system. "
"I've already given you the method. I believe it will be easy for you."
The classroom was filled with mournful cries. A group of students grabbed their hair and looked at each other in dismay. Their faces were filled with painful expressions.
Professor Enoch's thesis was too difficult to understand. Although they liked to listen to Professor Enoch's stories, every assignment made them rack their brains.
Professor Enoch felt much better. He put away his teaching materials and was about to go to his office.
However, at this moment, he saw a white man at the door, as well as the dean of the mathematics department of the Federal University of Ekiti.
"Professor Enoch, this gentleman from America wants to talk to you about the Riemann conjecture," said the old man as he patted Professor Enoch's shoulder. He had a smile on his face as he said, "Do your best."
Of course, he wasn't fawning over Professor Enoch. He was fawning over a million dollars.
For such a small country, this was undoubtedly a huge sum of money.
Before this, no one believed that this number theory teacher could prove Riemann's conjecture. Especially after the Daily Mail reporter came once and never came again.
But now, the American reporters were here.
Maybe, the Clay Institute really accepted his thesis?
In Nigerian society, although the Americans and the British were all white, the status of the former was slightly higher. Especially after a black man became the president, it had even been exaggerated into a paradise.
If the Clay Institute really accepted Professor Enoch's thesis, then he would undoubtedly become a "top dog". He might even have the opportunity to immigrate to the United States, and he would have to rely on this friend of his …
It wasn't just Nigeria, the entire African continent was filled with this "escape mentality", especially for those who were truly educated.
Professor Enoch was stunned when he saw the American in front of him. He was not scared like the old man next to him. Instead, he frowned and asked, "You are?"
"Let me introduce myself, I'm a reporter from the Washington Times. You can call me Larter," said Larter as he forced a smile. He then reached out his right hand and said, "I want to talk to you about the Riemann conjecture. When do you think it's convenient?"
If it wasn't for the big news, he wouldn't even want to stay here for a second longer. He couldn't believe that since he left the airport, he had been blackmailed for 70,000 naira … Although it was only a few hundred dollars, it still made him quite angry.
He swore that this was his last business trip here.
Professor Enoch looked at Larter and said cautiously, "My office is fine."
Professor Enoch's office was very messy. Obviously, it was not taken care of. His socks were thrown on top of his textbooks, and the textbooks were covered in dust and cobwebs.
Larter frowned and finally found a suitable place to stand. He then cleared his throat and spoke.
"Here's the thing. We learned that at the end of 2015, you sent a letter to the Clay Institute claiming to have proven Riemann's conjecture. But according to the Daily Mail, the Clay Institute did not comment on your thesis. After we learned about your situation, we immediately followed up on this matter … "
Professor Enoch sat in his chair and looked at Larter suspiciously. Obviously, he did not believe that Larter could help him get a million-dollar prize. "You can read my thesis on arXiv, why did you come all the way to Nigeria?"
Larter said sincerely, "I want to help you."
"Help me?" Professor Enoch rubbed his nose and said, "Why don't you just give me the money …"
"It's not about the money. Aren't you angry?" Larter stared at Professor Enoch and said, "I just listened to your lecture. I think you're a very good mathematician, but some people ignored your results because of your skin color. Obviously, Russians, French, Peruvians, and even Chinese people have been recognized by the academic community, but you're the only exception! "
Professor Enoch had a strange expression on his face.
Because the person who said this to him was a white man.
However, this reporter did succeed in provoking his anger.
Yes, he had also submitted his proof to arXiv. Why was his thesis thrown into the "general mathematics" category and ignored by everyone?
Larter stared at him and said, "I only have one question for you. Can you guarantee that you can prove Goldbach's conjecture while the Riemann's conjecture is true?"
"Of course," said Professor Enoch without hesitation, "It's easy."
Larter snapped his fingers. "Okay, I'll take care of your ticket and visa issues. At the same time, the Washington Post will reimburse you for your expenses along the way …"
"Wait a minute!" Professor Enoch interrupted Larter and said, "I don't understand what you mean, what do you want?!"
Larter, "We'll arrange a report for you in Princeton. We'll report on your proof of Riemann's conjecture and how you easily solved a series of prime number problems … For example, Goldbach's conjecture."
Of course, it was impossible to do it in Lecture Hall 1 at the Institute for Advanced Study. However, it was fine to do it at the Princeton Hotel. As long as you had the money, you could book the hotel for a few days. In fact, many academic conferences were held in hotels.
When Larter told his financial backer in South Korea about his idea, they quickly sent him the money.
For Wen Xianming, it did not matter if China took him seriously. As long as he could annoy the neighboring countries, he could even throw a "balloon" into the ocean.
"Wait a minute, that's too fast. I don't understand what you mean. You want me to do a report in Princeton?" said Professor Enoch.
Submitting a thesis was one thing, but giving a report was another. Simply put, he was not ready yet.
"Yes." Larter's lips curled into a smile.
Professor Enoch wanted to refuse, but he could not say it. In the end, he gulped.
This person is a devil …
He went silent for a long time. He thought about it carefully and it did not seem like he would lose anything. Teaching in Nigeria was not a promising career. At the very least, he could use this opportunity to "discredit" Nigeria.
Enoch looked away and cleared his throat.
"I need some time to prepare …"
Larter immediately asked, "How long?"
Enoch said tentatively, "Three months."
"That's too long," said Larter as he shook his head. He then said, "Time waits for no one. Listen, I'm not asking you to convince the Princeton professors. You just need to convince the legal representatives of some black rights organizations, their sponsors, and some congressmen who are concerned about this matter. "
"Okay, how long do you need?" said Enoch as he scratched his head. He then said, "Give me a time."
Larter raised three fingers and said, "Three days at most."
Enoch did not even think before he said, "That's impossible!"
At the very least, he had to wait until his students handed in their homework.
No matter what, three days was not enough time.
Larter expressionlessly raised a finger. "Ten thousand dollars."
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