"Hello! Have you heard? There seems to be a big move in the mathematics community in China recently!"

"... what a big move?"

"I heard the new foreign students say that the Ministry of Science and Technology over them seems to have issued a document and offered a reward of 100 million yuan for scientific research to Abc's conjecture ..."

"Hmm--how much ?! One hundred million !? Zimbabwe coins?"

"Of course it is the national currency ... It is said that many of them studying number theory have gone crazy! Various public institutions are digging people like crazy. As long as they are studying number theory, they have paid high salaries. Let us Princeton There seem to be a lot of Chinese mathematicians here. Did you get an offer to return to China recently? It seems to be related to this rumor. "

"Abc guesses ... a billion ... crazy, it's crazy."

Cafe in Princeton.

As one of the most famous distribution centers of gossip information in mathematics, you can always hear some strange rumors about mathematics.

A recent gossip is probably the internal document that the Ministry of Science and Technology of China suddenly issued. As long as you are sitting here, you can see someone with an envious expression talking about it in a whisper.

100 million research funding ...

With so much money, they can't even imagine how to spend it. Those who can remain indifferent to this are the only big guys who have stood at the top of the academic world and no longer care about worldly money.

There are many versions of the origin of this billion, but most explanations are quite far-fetched.

After all, this thing is a little strange in itself.

Everyone was confused, wondering why the Chinese Congress suddenly showed such interest in a purely mathematical problem, and even offered such a stunning reward.

As a result, many foreign number theory scholars at the National Institute of Public Research in China are now asking how to naturalize and if there is no way to take shortcuts.

"There seems to be a big move in the mathematics community in China recently," sitting next to the window, watching Professor Fefferman, who was sitting opposite him, and Professor Peter Sanak, the former editor-in-chief of Mathematics, drinking coffee. While chatting in a small chat, "I have heard a brand new version almost every day for the past two days ... have you heard of it?"

"I've heard a little ... but the thing I want to say may not be the same thing as you think."

"Oh?" A look of interest suddenly appeared in his eyes, and Professor Sanak leaning on a chair sat upright, staring at Professor Fefferman with a gaze, and asked with interest, "Is there any other Big move? "

It's not just Professor Sanak who smells gossip.

The scholars sitting at the table also subconsciously lowered their speaking volume, pretending to be drinking coffee, in fact, their ears were already standing tall.

"L · s · p · m," took a sip of coffee, Professor Fefferman continued, "I don't know if you have heard of it, I only saw it on Schultz's blog last night."

"L · s · p · m?" Professor Sanak's brow frowned slightly and asked doubtfully, "... I haven't heard of it, do these four letters have any special meaning?"

"L is the acronym of Lu Zhou, s is Schultz, and Perelman and Mochizuki Shinichi, they recently set up a research group, the research direction is exactly the abc conjecture."

Hearing this explanation, Professor Sanak was shocked.

"Abc guess ?! Are they ..."

"Sounds amazing, right? I'm also quite surprised. This is definitely the most luxurious lineup in the history of modern mathematics. By analogy, it is equivalent to putting the world's top star in a team to play. "Professor Fefferman smiled and continued," I bet this game will be very exciting. "

"Is it for the one hundred million yuan bonus? No, it's impossible," murmured mutteringly, Professor Sanak was aggressive, "I heard that scholars in my country can apply for ... And Lu Zhou, he doesn't seem to be short of money. "

Not only Lu Zhou is not short of money.

Including Mochizuki Shinichi, Schultz and Perelman, it seems that none of them is interested in money.

"Of course it can't be for money," calmly took a sip of coffee, Professor Fefferman continued with a smile, "but intuitively, there must be other stories behind this. Believe me, it won't take long, let's You'll know soon. "

Just like abc guesses it won't be long before it will be resolved.

Professor Fefferman, who has worked with Lu Zhou, has no doubt about this.

He knew exactly how powerful the man was.

Moreover, this power is not just because of his talent, this guy is also diligent and terrible. Especially when it comes to sleeping and forgetting, even Princeton's most diligent scholar may be ashamed.

If he had to find someone from this world who was more likely to solve the problem than he was, Fefferman felt that he might have to find it in the universe outside the earth.

"I don't understand one thing."

Looking at Professor Sanak, who still hadn't recovered from surprise, Professor Fefferman said casually.

"whats the matter?"

"Mochizuki Shinichi, how could his name also appear in this research group ..." With a strange expression on his face, Professor Sanak continued, "He did not always insist that he had fully proved the abc conjecture. ? Use his 'far Abelian geometry'. "

Fefferman froze slightly, and the expression on his face followed the weirdness.

Yes indeed……

Why is this guy Mochizuki Shinichi in this group? !!

He hadn't realized the problem before, and now it's strange to think about it.

This feeling is like spitting out something and eating it back again ...

"His ... It's a bit unusual, wait. I'll look for that paper."

As a result, Professor Fefferman took out the recently changed smartphone and opened Mochizuki's new personal blog. He was preparing to find a paper that had been difficult for the mathematics community for more than a decade.

However, it was unexpected that something happened.

Professor Fefferman, looking at the screen of his phone, suddenly hesitated.

Keen to notice the change of expression on his old friend's face, Professor Sanak can't wait to stand up and leaned closer to the past, "What happened?"

"That paper ... is gone."

Suddenly realizing something, Fefferman immediately retreated from Mochizuki Shinichi's personal blog and landed on the official website of the Department of Mathematics at Kyoto University.

really!

As he foresaw!

That 512-page article has been hanging on the homepage of the Department of Mathematics of Kyoto University since August 30, 2012 ...

Actually disappeared? !!

...

Since 2012, Mochizuki's new proof of abc conjecture has been full of controversy. It is for this reason that when the 500-page paper was withdrawn from his personal blog and the homepage of the Department of Mathematics of Kyoto University, it aroused the attention of the entire academic community.

At first, many people thought it was a network problem.

It wasn't until his name appeared on the l · s · p · m group's list that this matter caused a stir in the mathematical world.

Especially at Kyoto University, whether it is students or professors, whether it is mathematics or philosophy, almost everyone is shocked by the news.

For a long time, this professor who challenged the entire mathematics world with his own power has a godlike existence in their eyes. Since he proclaimed the certificate, people come to the hall almost every once in a while, but it can be said that they have not failed in the past ten years.

At least those who refuted him could not produce any evidence that others could understand.

But now, the idols in their hearts actually acknowledge their failure? !!

There must be something wrong in this!

"I can't accept it!"

Kyoto University, Mochizuki's office.

Ichiro Hoshihiro, who couldn't reach the professor's phone, held the phone and growled madly.

"Professor Mochizuki must have been coerced! Or there must have been another secret! Until he clarifies this in person, I will not admit that he actually gave up!"

"Senior Star, please calm down."

"Go! Don't pull me! I'm going to Hua Guo to find a professor!"

Just then, sitting in an inconspicuous corner of the office, a student who looked slightly younger and looked at Hoshihiro Ichiro who was crazy, raised his right hand tremblingly.

"... that, Professor Mochizuki has just updated a blog."

"Where? Let me see!"

Flung to the computer desk, Hiroshi Ichiro skillfully opened the browser and entered Mochizuki Shinichi's personal blog. Including Mochizuki's proud student, Yamashita, others in the office also gathered together and looked behind the office chair.

That was a video that was less than twenty seconds long.

Professor Mochizuki, who was sitting at his desk, looked pretty good, at least not as if he had been coerced. After noticing this, Hoshihiro Ichiro breathed a little sigh of relief, but soon his nerves tightened again.

Without being coerced ...

That means Ming ...

For a moment, Hiroshi Ichiro's face turned pale.

Almost at the same time, as he had foreseen, the professor admiring him sitting at the desk saw his nostril facing the camera and made a concise statement.

"It turns out that there are some problems with the process, and it can be difficult to fix it. Just let it be an immature attempt."

"Fortunately, we have found new ideas."

"During this time, it's troublesome for everyone!"

Hoshihiro Ichiro: "???"

Yamashita: "???"