Chapter 103: The Ramanujan Prize

As the clock neared nine, all the attendees had taken their seats, and the International Congress of Mathematicians officially commenced. The chief of the congress, John Powers, and the president of the International Mathematical Union each took the stage to deliver their opening remarks.

“Thank you to our gracious hosts for supporting this event, to old and new friends alike for attending, to each mathematician who has made new contributions to our field, and above all, to mathematics itself… The twenty-sixth International Congress of Mathematicians is now officially underway!”

With Powers’ spirited proclamation, the atmosphere reached a peak, ushering in the first grand event of the proceedings: the awards ceremony.

The first prize to be presented was the Gauss Prize, the highest honor in applied mathematics, awarded to mathematicians for their contributions to this field. This year’s recipient was Yves Meyer from France, recognized for his fundamental work in number theory, operator theory, and harmonic analysis, and for his crucial role in the development of wavelets and multiresolution analysis.

Following closely was the inaugural Chern Prize, the first award named after an outstanding Chinese mathematician. With no restrictions on field, the prize was jointly established by the Chern Foundation and the International Mathematical Union, and recognizes individuals with lifetime achievements in mathematics. The first recipient was Louis Niren from the Crown Institute in the United States, honored for laying the foundations of modern nonlinear elliptic equations theory.

The third award, the Nevanlinna Prize, was given to a mathematician from Yale. Then came the most anticipated moment of the opening ceremony, the highlight of the awards: the Fields Medal, often called the Nobel Prize of mathematics.

Since most mathematical breakthroughs are made before the age of forty, the Fields Medal is only awarded to mathematicians under forty—a symbolic threshold, the highest honor in mathematics attainable only before that age. While winning the prize does not solely determine a mathematician’s greatness, every recipient of the Fields Medal is undoubtedly a top scholar who has made remarkable contributions to mathematics.

When Andrew Wiles proved Fermat’s Last Theorem, he was over forty, and thus, despite his exceptional achievement, was awarded a special silver medal by the International Mathematical Union, distinct from the official Fields Medal.

Laszlo Lovasz, president of the International Mathematical Union, ascended the stage to personally announce this year’s Fields Medalists.

The audience held its breath, all eyes focused intently on the podium. Lovasz, wasting no words, solemnly announced the recipients and their achievements.

“The first awardee, Ms. Baozhu Wu, is honored for her proof of the Fundamental Lemma in the theory of automorphic forms within the Langlands program. The second, Elon Lindenstrauss, for his work on measure rigidity in ergodic theory and its applications to number theory…”

The four recipients, under the dazzling lights and the adoring eyes of the audience, took the stage to receive their medals. Those who had reached the age limit without winning could not help but feel a pang of disappointment, but nevertheless, the crowd offered thunderous applause to the four outstanding mathematicians, celebrating their achievements.

“I hope that one day, a mathematician of true Chinese nationality will ascend this stage and earn this supreme honor!” As each name was announced and the Fields Medals awarded, Wenping Zhou leaned in and spoke sincerely to Tong Wu.

Modern Chinese mathematics had started late, and the gap was undeniable. Zhou and his peers had passed their prime, but Tong Wu’s brilliance was only beginning—she was just seventeen. Who could say she would not one day bring home a Fields Medal for China?

To have a true Chinese Fields Medalist.

Peking University’s Department of Mathematics was sparing no effort to cultivate talent, even if few of the students they sent abroad ever returned. Still, they hoped that, through gradual progress, one of these youths might become a Fields Medalist belonging to China.

“There will be, there must be. I hope that one day the Fields Medal will shine with honor because it is awarded to a Chinese mathematician!” For five thousand years, China had produced countless extraordinary figures, and its civilization had never been interrupted. Even if they were a step behind, or the road was difficult, China’s rise would not be hindered.

She did not see herself as a uniquely gifted prodigy, but for this goal, she too would strive forward with all her might.

With the grand announcement of the Fields Medal and the four honored recipients stepping down, the congress neared its end. Lovasz delivered the closing remarks for the opening ceremony.

Yet, unexpectedly, after livening the atmosphere and lauding the Fields Medalists and other luminaries, the president suddenly shifted the topic:

“In these past four years, many scholars have contributed to the advancement of mathematics. Mathematics thrives because of you. Every leap forward is cause for joy and celebration.

For instance, today, allow me a brief aside to thank a brilliant jewel who has made remarkable contributions to mathematics this year. From April to July, she successively resolved the Zhou Conjecture, the Twin Prime Conjecture, and the just-confirmed Polignac Conjecture, and she has brought to the field the soon-to-dazzle world Infinite Group Proof Method!

I marvel at her youth as a reflection of mathematics’ vitality, and I regret that the Union’s rigid rules prevent us from awarding her the Fields Medal this year. But here, I wish to formally introduce to the world a mathematical genius from the East, the radiant jewel of the Orient—Tong Wu. In recognition of her outstanding achievements this year, the International Mathematical Union will present her with the Ramanujan Prize!

The Ramanujan Prize shines ever brighter because of her!”

Lovasz looked kindly in Tong Wu’s direction, then turned to the audience with a playful smile. “Forgive me for giving away a secret ahead of time, but please pardon my excitement!”

“Let us look forward to mathematics remaining forever young, forever advancing!”

“Tong Wu, Tong Wu, President Lovasz just announced that you have won this year’s Ramanujan Prize!” Wenping Zhou and Yisheng Li whispered in excitement. They had felt regret that Tong Wu’s results had not had enough time to gain recognition, leaving her out of contention for the Fields Medal this year. Who could say when China would finally have a true Fields Medalist?

But they had never expected President Lovasz to single out Tong Wu for special praise at the close of the opening ceremony—already a tremendous honor! Even more astonishing was the news that Tong Wu had won the Ramanujan Prize this year!

The Ramanujan Prize! This prestigious international award is given only to mathematicians under forty-five from developing countries, who have made outstanding contributions to research.

Tong Wu’s very first award was an international prize. When this news reached home, everyone would surely be overjoyed! Such happiness!

(End of chapter)