Chapter 831: Millennium Mathematical Problem

After Zhou Qingzhi's opening speech, it was naturally Zhang Hongbiao's turn as the leader present to speak.

As he spoke, the faces of the people at the Civil Aviation Administration below became even darker.

Chang Haonan has no doubt that if it were not for the direct decision from higher-level leaders, it would be difficult for C808 to even find the second launch user of Bashu Airlines.

However, this is not important anymore.

After all, the reason why a separate unit like the Civil Aviation Administration was established back then was not just to manage a few airlines.

More importantly, we want to rely on it to coordinate the development of the entire Chinese civil aviation industry.

As a result, you coordinate and coordinate everything, and your operations are as fierce as a tiger's.

The performance in the last 20 years was not as good as the next two years.

Now that the latter half of the functions have been handed over to the Science and Technology Commission, there is no need to retain such a large group of people.

Therefore, the Civil Aviation Administration should soon make adjustments from a direct bureau to a secondary bureau under relevant ministries, stripping off most of its administrative functions and becoming a relatively simple business department.

No longer poses any threat.

This is why Chang Haonan told Zhang Hongbiao just now that Hufei’s most important task now is to deliver orders with quality and quantity——

Although it is difficult for regional passenger aircraft to become mainstream in a country with the population size and land area of ​​China, even if it only flies to some border areas and routes in the central and western regions, it is enough to support this model.

As long as it can continue to operate stably and safely for several years, with the support of FAA and EASA airworthiness certification, exporting is almost a matter of course.

Plus some orders for military platforms and special aircraft...

It is no exaggeration to say that better days are yet to come.

After the celebration ceremony, there was naturally a routine banquet.

However, Hufei can be said to be ingenious this time.

Neither chose a high-end hotel nor a group restaurant.

Instead, the banquet hall was set up directly in the open air near the assembly workshop.

In mid-April, the weather in Shanghai was just cool but not cold.

The breeze blows slowly, and not far away are the five passenger planes that are the protagonists of today's celebration...

It's a different kind of experience.

Amidst the crowd of toasters, Chang Haonan toasted to Zhou Qingzhi and the United Airlines representative next to him.

"Then, I wish you success in your first commercial operation!"

…

Meanwhile, across the ocean.

Clay Institute of Mathematics, Massachusetts.

Early in the morning, Langton Clay hurried into the office of Arthur Jeff, the head of the institute and a professor of mathematics at Harvard University.

As soon as he entered the door, he placed a newspaper in his hand in front of the latter, and then sat down on the sofa not far away:

"Arthur, next month, the Collège de France will host a Millennium Mathematics Conference, and we need to make some noise."

The two co-founded the institute two years ago.

Because the investor and titleholder Clay's main business is a businessman, Jeff is responsible for the daily work of the institute.

However, the former is the sponsor after all and still has the right to speak on key matters.

The Clay Institute is said to be a non-profit organization, but as we all know, non-profit ≠ not making a profit.

Langton Clay invested a lot of money in the research institute, partly because he was interested in mathematics, a subject he didn't know much about.

But the more important purpose is to gain a certain influence in the academic circle.

Objectively speaking, he is quite successful in this regard——

Although it has only been two years since the institute was established, it is already somewhat famous in the circle of theoretical mathematics.

Even some well-known mathematicians will at least have a certain impression of the name Langton Clay.

If it is in public, they will also say a few words of "high praise" out of politeness.

Mathematicians also need to eat.

However, Clay himself is still not satisfied with the status quo.

He has always hoped that his Clay Research Institute can become a world-leading research institution like the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Even if the level is not top-notch, at least the influence must be top-notch.

"Make some noise?"

Jeff picked up the newspaper and quickly scanned the reports:

"Langton, you know, mathematical research requires inspiration."

"There is only a little more than a month left, and I can't guarantee you that we will come up with any world-shaking results."

"Um……"

Clay was a little frustrated, but he also knew that the other party was right.

Mathematics is not something that you will definitely get results if you are willing to spend money.

At least not within the prescribed time limit.

"Originally, I planned to hold a Millennium Mathematicians Conference in the name of the Institute at the end of last year, but it was overtaken by Princeton, and this time it was the Collège de France..."

"If it continues to be delayed, the millennium, a time window that attracts worldwide attention, will pass..."

From late 1999 to the first half of 2000, celebrations of the millennium were relatively normal.

But if you're still celebrating the millennium in late 2000...

It seems rather strange.

Therefore, there is not much time left for Clay.

Seeing the anxious look on his old friend and sponsor's face, Jeff had no choice but to start thinking.

As a mathematician, he quickly thought of a wild idea:

"Langton, maybe... we can change our thinking."

"Perhaps you have heard that a hundred years ago, in 1900, David Hilbert proposed 23 mathematical problems at the Second Congress of Mathematicians?"

In fact, Langton Clay had not heard of it.

Of course he knew Hilbert, but that was all.

However, this did not affect his ability to understand what the other party meant.

"You mean, I... uh... our institute can also raise some mathematical problems and call on mathematicians to answer them?"

Arthur Jeff shook his head, seemingly helpless at Clay's overestimation:

"It's definitely not enough to just give a call. Hilbert was already a world-famous master of mathematics in 1900. He proposed 23 mathematical problems and naturally people responded. Our institute..."

Having said this, he looked up at Clay on the sofa:

"Our research institute has a name at most, but not much fame... So if we want to have enough influence, we still need some additions."

"You mean...a reward?"

"Yes, the bigger the amount, the better."

Jeff replied.

"Then...one hundred thousand dollars?"

Clay asked tentatively.

"puff--"

Jeff almost spit out the coffee he just drank.

"One hundred thousand dollars is less?"

Clay felt a little numb.

You must know that although he provides a large amount of funding to the research institute every year, this kind of sponsorship of scientific research is actually a way of tax avoidance, which means that he does not really need to lose much money.

But if there is a reward, the money will be spread out steadily.

"One hundred thousand dollars is indeed a lot, but since what you want is a gimmick, it will definitely not be enough."

Jeff replied:

"At least a million dollars."

"Hiss... what if I also propose 23... twenty-three million US dollars?"

"no……"

Jeff shook his head like a rattle:

"First of all, there is a high probability that there are no more 23 mathematical problems with enough weight for you to post a reward."

"Secondly, since it is a reward, you need to pay money only after it is solved. You don't think that those mathematical problems that have been left until now will be solved easily, right?"

"If we raise the level of difficulty of problems a little higher, such as Hodge's conjecture, Riemann's hypothesis, analytical solutions to the N-S equation, and Poincaré's conjecture, I estimate that no one will be able to solve it in a few decades. Just keep your bounty hanging..."

After some explanation, Clay also realized that this idea was indeed feasible.

Immediately afterwards, he thought that since the problems Hilbert listed were called "mathematical problems of the century," then the problems he offered rewards for solving must have higher names.

"How about we just call these problems the 'Millennium Prize Problem' or the 'Millennium Mathematical Puzzle'?"

"You are the one who paid for it, I don't have any objection to what you call it."

Jeff's eyes also shone with excitement and ambition:

"But I hope it will be up to me to decide what issues are included in the reward."