Chapter 20 first quarter

If the Department of Physics is a ship, Ye Qisun is the captain of the ship.Not only that, Ye Qisun was also the first dean of the School of Science of Tsinghua University.In addition to the Department of Physics, the Faculty of Science also has 7 departments including the Department of Computing, Department of Chemistry, Department of Geography, Department of Biology, Department of Psychology, and Department of Civil Engineering.From this point of view, if each department can be regarded as a ship, the Faculty of Science is a mighty fleet, and the commander of this "fleet" sailing in the ocean of learning and learning, which was later called amazing by the world, is Mr. Ye Qisun .

When Ye Qisun was the first dean of the Faculty of Science, he hired the heads of various departments: Xiong Qinglai from the Department of Computing, Zhang Zigao from the Department of Chemistry, Chen Zhen from the Department of Biology, Weng Wenhao from the Department of Geography, Shen Yougan from the Department of Psychology, and Lu Enxu from the Department of Civil Engineering.The professors hired by each department, such as Wu Zhengzhi, Yang Wuzhi, Zheng Zhifan, Sa Bentie, Chen Shengshen, Ren Zhigong, Wu Yunzhen, Huang Ziqing, Gao Chongxi, Sun Guangyuan, Shi Jiayang, etc., were all chosen at the moment.

The School of Science of Tsinghua University can be described as a group of talents.We can see from the list of heads of various departments that most of them can be called national treasures.However, when we look down the list from professors, associate professors, lecturers, etc., we will find that at the end of the list of teachers hired by the Department of Computing, the name of teaching assistant Hua Luogeng is impressively written. From Hua Luogeng's story, we may get some information about Ye Qisun Changli College. The first time Tsinghua University paid attention to Hua Luogeng's name was in the library of the Department of Computing.

Both the Department of Computing and the Department of Physics have quite good libraries.The Department of Mathematics has more than 1,800 Chinese and foreign mathematics books and 67 periodicals, including 20 foreign mathematics periodicals exchanged with Tsinghua Science.Foreign scholars visiting Tsinghua believe that the libraries of the Department of Computing and Department of Physics are even more complete than those of their counterparts in Harvard University. On this day, Mr. Xiong Qinglai, the dean of the Department of Computing, came to the library to read newspapers and magazines.In the journal Science, a paper caught his attention.The title of this thesis is "Reasons for the Inability to Solve Su Jiaju's Algebra with the Five Degrees Program", and the author's signature is Hua Luogeng.

Su Jiaju was a famous mathematician at that time.Not long ago, his paper published on the 10th volume of the "School" magazine caught the attention of Xiong Qinglai.Xiong Qinglai once or twice groped forward according to the ideas in the paper, but he was obsessed with trivial matters, so he forgot about it. Unexpectedly, this person named Hua Luogeng picked up this topic again, and Xiong Qinglai's thoughts flew up again. Xiong Qinglai is not a "native" of Tsinghua University.Although this person who speaks Yunnan dialect understands the characteristics of the northern dialect, and has taught his children to use the third tone for the word "ban" in "blackboard", he also dragged out the word "ban" in a long and mellow tone during the demonstration. Charm, but never change the local accent.His accent is just like his personality, pure and simple, with natural texture, primitive and elegant.

Xiong Qinglai is from Mile County, Yunnan. Before he was 15 years old, he basically never left his village, which is very small, probably less than 50 households.The name of the village is very strange, it is called Xizai Village. The village is far away from the county seat, and it takes about two days to walk on the mountain road.Sugar cane and corn are abundant here, but rice is rarely grown.However, Xiong Qinglai, who grew up eating corn tortillas until he was 15, was admitted to a school in the provincial capital, specializing in foreign languages. At the age of 18, he got a place to study in Europe. He first studied mining in Belgium, and then went to France to study mathematics.

Xiong Qinglai studied in Europe for 8 years, and worked in the Department of Mathematics of Southeast University after returning.His friendship with Ye Qisun started from Southeast University. Xiong Qinglai is 5 years older than Ye Qisun. When Ye Qisun went to Southeast University as an associate professor in the Department of Physics, Xiong Qinglai was a professor and head of the Department of Mathematics.There are definite materials to prove that their communication began at least in March 1924, because we found Ye Qisun and Xiong Qinglai in the photo taken by the Mathematical Physics and Chemistry Research Society of the school to welcome Ye Qisun and Ren Hongjun.Xiong Qinglai has a square face, glasses on his nose, and a Chinese-style robe, making him look haggard.Zhang Zigao and Ren Hongjun sat on the right side of Ye Qisun, with students sitting straight in front of them and behind them.Surrounded by them, they had the reserved expression of a new teacher on their faces.

A few years later, we will find their names on the list of professors hired by Ye Qisun, School of Science, Tsinghua University. Xiong Qinglai is dull and reticent, and Ye Qisun is not good at talking. It is quite difficult for these two quiet people to become friends.The most reliable speculation still comes from the relevant texts that have survived in the world. These materials prove that the two people's attraction to each other and eventually becoming confidants is probably due to their common hobbies. Ye Qi and Sun Shao were talented in mathematics when they were young, and they published "A Brief History of Chinese Arithmetic" when they were in Tsinghua School.In his conclusion, he analyzed it as follows:

It doesn't help to read history and know the facts.Those who are good at reading history observe the gains and losses of the past and plan for future progress.Our country's mathematics, such as Shang Gao, Liu Hui, Zu Chong, Wang Xiaotong, Qin Jiushao, Li Ye, Li Shanlan, Hua Hengfang, will be outstanding through the ages.Looking at its overall situation, its progress is far inferior to that of Oxi.There are four reasons: (1) Lack of systematic research.Looking at ancient arithmetic books, most of them have one problem and one method, but they don't understand the reasoning.Later generations learn from it and soon, there is no axiom, and it is difficult to develop.Europe was influenced by Greece.The Greeks studied mathematics and were very systematic. (2) The teaching is not widespread.The ancient history is difficult to record. Since the Song Dynasty, there have been very few learners, and this line will be cut off, so it is called arithmetic.If one person is special and continues to study, it is said to continue learning.In the Middle Ages of Europe, although it is called dark, there are still many scholars who study geometry, and their effects will affect the future. (3) Confined to old habits.The ancient formula is hard to describe, but the quaternary formula of the thirteenth century is in the books, so the inconvenience is self-evident.During the Qianjia period of the Qing Dynasty, scholars still used it.Although I know it is inconvenient, I think that people in Yuan Dynasty have established the law, and I don't want to change it.And the algebra students can't make progress in this way.The algebraic formula in Europe was still extremely inconvenient in the seventeenth century, but it has been actively improved in the past two hundred years, and it is still in the present state.That is to say, this end has a profound impact on the overall situation of mathematics. (4) The natural sciences are underdeveloped.If there is no celestial mechanics, Naiduan may not study calculus in depth.If there is no electricity, imaginary numbers will always be useless.If observation is not refined, probability will be underdeveloped.Natural science is not about using numbers, and the progress of mathematics is especially stimulated by the needs of natural science.Since the 16th century in Europe, the natural sciences have gradually developed, while our country has only just sprouted. This is also one of the reasons why mathematics has not advanced... ("A Brief History of Chinese Mathematics", written by Ye Qisun, "Journal of Tsinghua University", Volume 2, Issue 6 )

From the above text, we can know how deeply Ye Qisun has thought about the history and current situation of Chinese mathematics.With his professional level and profound thoughts, if he meets a mathematician like Xiong Qinglai, he will definitely show sympathy due to the attraction of his inner quality.Coincidentally, in the article written by Xiong Qinglai's son Xiong Bingming to commemorate his father, there is such a passage: It is very interesting that he talked about the first national review of mathematical terms.The time is probably 1923.What is to be discussed is some of the most basic translations of "function" and "integral".Some Mr. Chen Jiangong, Jiang Lifu and others hired a boat on the West Lake in Hangzhou to discuss it.My diary may be wrong in the above details, but what I want to say is: Chinese mathematics workers of their generation can be carried by a small yacht on the West Lake. ("Eternal Tsinghua Garden - Parents in the Eyes of Tsinghua Children", edited by Zong Pu and Xiong Bingming, Beijing Publishing House, 2000 edition, p. 126)

Perhaps it is because of "rare things are more precious" that the friendship between the two has been achieved. There is one more credible clue.Looking through the relevant materials of the two, they often tell the story of the great French scientist Pasteur in a passionate tone.Ye Qisun wrote in his speech "Physics and Its Applications": Pasteur wanted everyone to know. The book "life of pasteur" should be read by everyone.First, he studied the question of whether living things can be born from inanimate things.As a result, it cannot be proved by reliable experimental methods. This research seems to be a pure research, which seems to have nothing to do with practicality. However, this is the beginning of "microbiology", and it is one of the important foundations of modern medicine. Its practical value is so great! Xiong Qinglai, on the other hand, told his children more stories about Pasteur: About Pasteur, he also told many moving stories, I can not remember here.In short, the traditional spirit absorbed in the rural private school and the enlightenment thought and humanism accepted in the West are all integrated into his personality.He told the stories of Pasteur, Archimedes, Galileo, and Newton, just as he told "Zuo Zhuan" and "Warring States Policy", which surprised and inspired our young hearts, as if watching in the ocean of future life to the looming course. ("Eternal Tsinghua Garden - Parents in the Eyes of Tsinghua Children" p. 125) We have every reason to believe that the "life of pasteur" may be the red ribbon of friendship between the two during their days at Southeast University.The fundamental reason for the two to become close friends is the common ambition: to take the road of saving the country through science. And this is the real theme of Pasteur's story.