Hao Wu is a professor at Chengtong Yau Mathematical Science Center of Tsinghua University and a doctoral supervisor. He received his bachelor's degree from Tsinghua University in 2009. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Paris-ELEVEN in 2013, and then engaged in research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States and the University of Geneva in Switzerland. In 2014, he was awarded the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Project as an independent researcher. In 2015, he was invited to serve as a member of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Grant Review Committee. Hao Wu's research interests are probability theory and statistical physical models, and he has made outstanding contributions to Schramm-Loewner Evolution (SLE) and planar statistical physical models. In September 2017, he was appointed as a long-term professor at Tsinghua University.
Dialogue with Wu Hao
"People who do math are more or less casual, because we may only do the problems that interest us and not the useful ones." In the interview, Wu Hao mentioned "interest" several times, and her fate with mathematics began with these two words.
In 2005, wu Hao was sent to Tsinghua university for participating in mathematics and physics competitions, and began to explore the beauty of mathematics.
Many people find mathematical abstraction difficult to understand and boring, but Wu Hao is happy in his research, and when he figures out the answer to a mathematical problem, his sense of achievement is bursting, "Although calculating this number is equal to a few has no practical effect on my life, the satisfaction it brings can last a long time." ”
The road to scientific research is long, in order to adhere to it for a long time, it is necessary to have talent and interest, and it is also necessary to have a high ability to withstand pressure. Wu Hao feels that girls' ability to resist pressure is stronger, which is a unique advantage of learning mathematics. She encouraged young students, especially girls, not to pay attention to the sayings that "girls can't learn mathematics well" and "scientific research is a very hard road", and followed their hearts and had the courage to choose.
"Simple, casual, happy", Wu Hao said of her life now. Since returning to Tsinghua to teach, Wu Hao has watched the Yau Chengtong Mathematics Center flourish with the support of the school and the scientific research environment has become better and better, and he feels that he is lucky. She is grateful to the Math Center for creating a stable environment for doing interesting research at will.
reporter
Did you choose to major in mathematics and have been doing research in this field since then, because you like mathematics?
Interest + good at. I chose mathematics for two main reasons, one is that the classmates and teachers I came into contact with during my PhD were very interesting. People who do mathematics are particularly simple, and it is very simple to think about the problem, that is, to know why this thing is. Also, most importantly, I really like the subject, and when I finally figure out the answer to a question, that joy lasts a long time, the same joy I have when I receive my salary every month.
Wu Hao
The development abroad is very good, why return to Tsinghua?
Returning to Tsinghua does have an opportunity. I had just graduated from my Ph.D. and was doing postdoctoral work at MIT in the United States. I was surprised to receive Mr. Qiu's offer. However, I have some worries about whether to return to China for development.
First, because I am engaged in the field of scientific research, no one in China has done this direction, afraid that my scientific research results cannot be recognized in China; second, I am not very clear about what the internal scientific research environment of Tsinghua is.
But then I quickly reassured myself, first of all, Tsinghua did strongly support the development of mathematics, and the mathematics center developed very rapidly. In addition, my colleagues, all of whom have similar backgrounds, have a great time discussing issues. After returning, I got the guidance and help of many senior teachers, held meetings and seminars with my peers in the field of probability theory, and felt that the domestic environment was getting better and better.
From college to research and mentoring students, what moments do you feel the most accomplished?
When I was in graduate school, I saw an answer to a random walk question and was thrilled to understand how this number was calculated for the first time. Actually, knowing that this number equals several may not be of practical use to my life, but I did feel particularly happy and fulfilled at the time.
Doing scientific research is actually the same from beginning to end, that is, to solve a problem that I have thought about for a long time and have not understood, which is quite happy in itself.
In terms of taking students, the first doctoral student I brought back to Tsinghua, now the third year of the doctorate, he has a very high understanding, the progress is very fast, and now he can communicate effectively with me, and the two of us often discuss mathematical problems on an equal footing, which is also quite rewarding.
Do you think studying mathematics has any effect on your personality?
I'm more casual. People who may do mathematics are more or less like this, because we may only do problems that interest us and not useful ones. Mainly because Mr. Yau provided us with a relatively stable environment, allowing me to avoid pressure and have the opportunity to pursue the topics that interested me.
Many people think that doing scientific research is a very hard thing, and the income is not high, what do you think?
For me, doing research really doesn't feel hard, because I do research entirely from the perspective of interest. If you really like it, you won't find this thing boring, and secondly, you really need to be good at it, and there is no need to die with the areas you are not good at.
In fact, from undergraduate to mathematics department, until finally finding a teaching position, and really starting to do scientific research work, the proportion of diversion along the way is very high.
The impression in society of doing basic research is very bitter and the wages are very low. Including the Doctoral student I recruited, he is very suitable for scientific research, but he also struggled with the same question before choosing this path: If he really takes this road, will he be very poor in the future?
But so far, it hasn't bothered me. This is a job with a decent income, of course, choose to do basic research this job, you certainly can't expect to be rich.
There is a voice in society that says that it is difficult for girls to learn mathematics well, what do you think?
I think this discipline is difficult to have nothing to do with gender, which may be related to what a person has been exposed to before and what he is good at. Everyone is good at different aspects, and this may not have much to do with gender.
What are the unique advantages of girls studying mathematics and doing scientific research?
In fact, whether you study mathematics or do scientific research, you must be talented and interested, and these two aspects I think are more important than gender factors. However, long-term insistence on doing research also needs to have a very important trait is strong ability to resist setbacks. Because doing scientific research is essentially to solve the problem that others do not know the answer, this problem is likely to take a long time to make, and even if it takes a lot of effort to do it, it will indeed suffer a lot of setbacks in the process. At this point, my feeling is that girls are more resistant to setbacks.
What advice do you have for young students?
In terms of choosing a major, if there is no financial burden at home, it is strongly recommended to choose according to your own interests and choose one of the several disciplines that you are good at. Although some popular majors are good for employment and make more money, if you are not interested, it is really painful to learn. And if you are not interested, you will most likely not be able to learn well.
Students who have just entered the school and are full of confusion about the future, it is recommended that you do not think too much at the beginning, learn the professional courses well, lay a good foundation, and then slowly think about which direction you are suitable for.
Tsinghua also provides middle school students interested in mathematics with the opportunity to grow up around the mathematical masters, and the "Yau Chengtong Mathematics Excellence Class" and the "Mathematics Leadership Program" allow students to experience the beauty of mathematics and the style of mathematicians at close range.
Content Source | Tsinghua News Network
Source | "Yau Chengtong Center for Mathematical Sciences, Tsinghua University"
