Free Web NovelChapter 939: Chapter 377 What on Earth Happened?_1
The Clay Mathematics Institute was founded with funds provided by the M Country businessman Landon Clay, who was a firm believer in the value of mathematical knowledge, as well as its central role in the progress of humanity, culture, and intellectual life, and therefore decided to invest a substantial amount of money in the establishment of a mathematical research organization.
As the Institute’s reputation grew in the course of its development, more and more wealthy patrons supported it, making it even more attractive to mathematicians, and amplifying its authority within the field of mathematics.
Therefore, the Clay Institute was not short on funds; in fact, they had more than enough money and would, under the banner of advancing mathematics, give out various awards and financial support to promising mathematicians every year.
As the head of the Clay Institute, Carlson was well aware that what the institute needed for its growth was fame and authority in the international mathematical community. It was fame that would attract more wealthy patrons and more outstanding mathematicians to join.
The seven Millennium Prize Problems were proposed by the Clay Institute and became known worldwide.
This was their domain.
In the domain of the Clay Institute, the bigger and more sensational an event could be made, the better, just as Hilbert had said: it would be best to hold a grand award ceremony.
The seven Millennium Prize Problems had puzzled countless mathematicians; in the nearly twenty years that had passed, only the Poincaré Conjecture had been solved, and it was only natural to hold a grand ceremony when another one of the world’s great problems had been cracked.
A magnificent award ceremony would bring even greater fame to the Clay Institute.
This was the foundation of the development of the Clay Institute.
Besides, Zhao Yi himself was a source of fame; he was universally recognized as one of the world’s top mathematicians, and at just over twenty years of age, he was extremely popular worldwide.
Even in Europe and M Country, many young people idolized him.
If they could invite Zhao Yi to M Country to attend the award ceremony, wouldn’t that highlight the extraordinary nature of the Clay Institute?
That’s what Carlson thought, but he still felt some concern because the last person to prove the Poincaré Conjecture had flatly refused the Clay Institute’s one million dollar prize money.
This had put the Clay Institute in an awkward position, as the outside world believed they were deliberately stalling, causing the prize money to go undistributed and affecting their reputation.
In truth, the reason the Clay Institute had not immediately recognized Perelman’s proof of the Poincaré Conjecture was directly related to Perelman himself; they had not expected to encounter a madman.
It was related to the way Perelman published his work.
Ten years ago, a segment of the mathematical community received an email from Perelman, stating that he had posted his papers online and asked them to help verify their validity.
Perelman published three papers in total, and three different mathematical teams each audited the proof’s process. However, since the thought process was highly non-linear, everyone said they couldn’t understand it, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology simply invited him to come and explain it in person. freewebnσvel.cøm
Afterward, Perelman embarked on a journey to M Country to begin his explanatory tour.
Clearly, the trip to M Country did not leave Perelman with a good impression; he once complained to a friend about his profound disappointment with the mathematical community. After that, he decided to exit the world of mathematics altogether. He not only resigned but also refused all interactions with his peers. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Perelman seemed to vanish from the face of the earth, no one could find him, yet his published papers were still there. Three core teams worked independently to verify them; they spent more than three years transforming Perelman’s original three papers into a hundreds-page, detailed annotated version.
Now, everyone claimed to understand it.
All sorts of awards and honors, including the Fields Medal, were offered to Perelman, but they encountered the same problem: they couldn’t coax Perelman out of seclusion. Perelman preferred to stay in his own house, refusing anything related to mathematics – even the medals and cash that symbolized honor.
These awards and honors had to be temporarily presented to others.
The Clay Institute faced a different problem from the Fields Medal institution; when they announced the Millennium Prize Problems, they had established a rule that required the proofs of these problems to be published in academic journals. However, Perelman, quite obstinately, published his papers online, and they kept waiting for Perelman to change his mind.
Of course, that was impossible. Perelman had even turned down direct prize money, so how could he possibly revisit his papers and prepare them for publication in academic journals?
In the end, unable to withstand the pressure of public opinion, the Institute went to great lengths to find Perelman’s home – only to discover that he had moved.
Latter, a journalist found Perelman, but he kept his door shut, telling the reporters outside his home: "I do not need the Fields Award, I do not need one million dollars."
"I have everything I need."
In reality? Perelman had become so poor that he was eligible for government relief. Living alone and never having married, his hair uncut and beard unshaven, he was often mistaken for a beggar when he stepped outside, and the neighbors suspected he was mentally ill.
The Clay Institute knew that Perelman’s refusal to accept the prize money was his own issue, but that was not how the world saw it. They all thought that once a prize had been confirmed, it must be distributed; if a promise was made and not kept, it was considered a serious ethical breach.
