1. The chaos of the Olympiad and the loss of mathematics
"Actually, some of the Olympiad questions are very difficult, I don't understand them, and I don't need to understand them. When asked about the current Olympiad education in primary and secondary schools, Yau Chengtong, the world's top mathematician and Fields Medal winner, replied. Indeed, for a long time, the Olympiad education in mainland China has shown all kinds of drawbacks: mechanically carrying out tactical training in the sea of questions, using the most radical means to catch up with the test indicators, and not hesitating to erase students' interest...... What even top mathematicians like Yau do not necessarily fully grasp has become an "errand" for young students to mechanically practice day after day.
What worries Yau even more is that this can lead to a misunderstanding of what true mathematical ability is. When we were young and frivolous, we always fantasized about some kind of "talent", as if top achievements could be achieved overnight. For example, from Archimedes to Euclid, top mathematicians do not rely on pure talent, but on in-depth study of the foundation, continuous thinking on the accumulation of predecessors, and repeated deliberations and even repeated defeats before making breakthroughs. "The so-called 'flash of inspiration' is often based on the foundation of others for decades, not 'a kick in the door'. ”
Because of this, Yau believes that corner overtaking is almost non-existent in the field of mathematics. Although the time of primary and secondary school is precious, the pursuit of top achievements needs to be accumulated and verified over the years, and no one can be expected to make achievements that will shock the world in two or three years. In reality, there are many "young talents" who were hyped up by the outside world for a while, and then disappeared after ten years. Yau's goal is to train students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and it is expected to complete a world-class doctoral dissertation in three to five years, which is the first step on the road to talent training.
Second, the core of interest, the shell of law
Since "genius" cannot be expected, where is the core of talent training? Yau Chengtong believes that it is students' interest in mathematics. He analyzed that first-class mathematicians and scientists have an unusually strong interest as the core, and even when they enter engineering, they are also pioneering leaders. On the other hand, if you don't have an interest, then even if you become an engineer, you can only do trivial work on the basis of your predecessors, and you will not be able to produce original results.
"To change that, it doesn't take too many students. Among the tens of millions of people who take the college entrance examination every year, a few hundred or so people who really have the potential to become groundbreaking mathematicians are enough. Because of this, Yau's philosophy is not as large-scale as some commercial institutions do – he makes it clear that the junior class trains about one or two thousand students a year, and the focus is on stimulating their interest and making them leaders in the development of mathematical sciences everywhere.
Here in Yau Chengtong, we also see the importance of law. For example, the day before the forum, he still got up early and insisted on swimming for more than an hour. "The rules of life do not mean that there will be no breakthroughs, and my son is still not enough to follow the rules. He said. Interest is the soul of a mathematician, but external orderliness is also necessary. Yau expects his students to retain the freedom of thought on the basis of laws – like Gauss, who can always form a dozen solutions to a problem.
3. The name of a teenager is not a success
At present, the "Yau Chengtong Youth Class" is blooming everywhere in primary and secondary schools in China, and the number has doubled in one year. But in the face of all kinds of misinterpretations of fame and fortune, Yau Chengtong has repeatedly made it clear that these classes "do not learn difficult mathematics, do not add points to the college entrance examination, and do not train to make a lot of money on Wall Street".
Indeed, to regard the junior class as only a plus point for further education is a serious misreading of Yau's philosophy of running a school. This type of class focuses on basic training, requiring one and a half years of undergraduate knowledge in three years, covering mathematical tools such as linear algebra and calculus, as well as completing all the basic courses of the physics department. Through this Xi, students will be able to compete with the world's leading universities in North America after a year and a half.
But Yau is more interested in whether this kind of learning Xi can stimulate teenagers' lifelong interest in mathematics. He analyzed that human mathematics has developed for more than 2,000 years, and there are only 100 masters who really lead the discipline and the times. And many of them come from the accumulation of basic scientific research, not the "fast food talents" of business or finance. Therefore, he warned parents, "We are cultivating academic talents, and we must devote ourselves to basic scientific research." For students who signed up for a real purpose that was not pure, he simply said "you don't have to come".
Many principals of primary and secondary schools present also felt deeply. Take the Yueqing Zhilin Middle School introduced by Fang Chun as an example, they are the only county-level platform for the juvenile class, and there should not be too many talented students. However, under the guidance of Professor Yau Chengtong's philosophy, the school has given these rural students higher expectations, not letting the college entrance examination become their limit, and letting talent become the nutrition for blossoming and fruition, rather than being buried in temporary utilitarianism.
Fourth, the road of talents, focus on the light
At present, some provincial and municipal leaders highly respect Yau Chengtong's school-running model - this academician, who does not charge pennies and has been running schools for many years, is gathering a new vision of local talent training with his personality charm and academic reputation. As a result, more and more primary and secondary schools actively approached Yau Chengtong and requested the establishment of Yau Chengtong Juvenile Class in combination with local conditions.
Isn't it true that we are shocked and moved by such a story? A world-class master does not enjoy his old age in a lifelong position, but is like an ordinary teacher, working hard for the new sprouts of China's scientific cause. He traveled constantly in Shanghai, Henan and other places, and even taught students in person. The rigorous academic spirit of running the school has also deeply influenced generations of young teachers and students.
But we must also be sober, this road is bright and not smooth. Yau Chengtong himself said frankly that life and learning Xi need rules, but rules do not deprive the fun of exploration and breakthrough. He hoped that students would have freedom of thought in an orderly manner, but he also warned those with impure intentions to "not come".
For us ordinary people, perhaps the most introspective thing is that while hyping and packaging genius prodigies, have we ignored the internal law of the long and arduous growth of talents? Are we missing the yearning and cultivation of true insight because of utilitarian pragmatism? These are worthy of deep thought by all of us. Like Qiu Lao, let us look beyond the appearance of prosperity and watch the most authentic and gradual cultivation and accumulation.