Hua Luogeng, this name is a household name in the Chinese mathematics community. He is not only a self-taught mathematician, but also a "people's mathematician" who loves the country and the people. But did you know that he was able to crack a Soviet military secret with a simple press announcement? How did he do that? Let's walk into this storied story.
How did a "Luo nerd" from a poor background grow into an internationally renowned "god of Chinese mathematics"? How did a mathematician with only a beginner's degree in Chinese make great achievements in both theoretical research and application and popularization? What is even more amazing is what kind of mathematical skill did he rely on to deduce the mysterious missile launch site of the Soviet Union from a news announcement? What kind of life wisdom and spiritual qualities are hidden behind all this?
Hua Luogeng's growth process
In 1910, Hua Luogeng was born in a poor family in Huai'an County, Jiangsu Province. Growing up in a poor family, coupled with polio, the left leg was disabled, and he needed crutches to walk. Due to the poverty of his family, Hua Luogeng did not even finish primary school when he was a child, and only got a certificate of completion of primary school.
Despite this, Hua Luogeng has shown an extraordinary talent for mathematics since he was a child. His keen mathematical instincts and excellent computing skills made him stand out among his peers. The friends affectionately call him "Luo Nerd", although this nickname is a bit ridiculous, but it also reveals everyone's recognition of his talent.
After entering junior high school, Hua Luogeng's mathematical talent was fully developed. In 1925, he won the first place in the Shanghai Abacus Competition, and his results were outstanding. If his family was not so poor, he would have had the opportunity to go on to further his studies step by step and enter the top universities in China.
However, fate always plays tricks on people. Because his family was too poor, Hua Luogeng had to drop out of school after graduating from junior high school. He had an opportunity to stay in school to teach, but it was not realized because the Education Bureau did not approve it. Since then, he has only relied on submitting papers to professional mathematics journals to maintain his love and pursuit of mathematics.
Just when Hua Luogeng was about to spend his life in obscurity, a mathematician Xiongqing came to see his paper, marveled at the talent contained in it, and took the initiative to recruit him to Tsinghua University to teach. In this way, a "Luo nerd" with only a beginner's Chinese background, with his persistent pursuit of mathematics, eventually became an internationally renowned mathematics master.
Hua Luogeng's mathematical achievements
Hua Luogeng's achievements in the field of mathematics have attracted worldwide attention, and he has left a strong mark on both pure theoretical research and application promotion.
Initially, Hua Luogeng focused on the study of pure mathematical theory. In 1938, he completed his debut novel "Theory of Stacked Prime Numbers" during the Anti-Japanese War, which caused a sensation when it came out and was hailed as "the first atomic bomb in Chinese mathematics". In the following decades, he published hundreds of academic papers and more than 10 monographs, and made outstanding contributions in the fields of analytic number theory and algebraic geometry.
Among them, Hua Luogeng's "Hua Luogeng conjecture" is his masterpiece in analytic number theory. This conjecture involves a deep-seated problem of the distribution of prime numbers, and is recognized as one of the most important unsolved mysteries in mathematical theory in the 20th century. Although this conjecture has not been fully confirmed to this day, the research it has led to has greatly promoted the development of analytic number theory.
In addition, Hua Luogeng's achievements in the field of algebraic geometry are also remarkable. He founded "Hua Luogeng Geometry", which closely combined algebraic geometry with algebraic topology and created a completely new branch of mathematics. This theory has not only had a wide impact in China, but has also been highly praised by the international mathematical community.
After entering the 60s of the 20th century, Hua Luogeng's research direction changed, and he began to devote his energy to the research of applied mathematics and economic mathematics. At this stage, he proposed the groundbreaking theory of "dual methods", namely the overall method and the optimization method. This theory aims to use mathematical methods to optimize the allocation of resources and provide a scientific basis for decision-making in the construction of the national economy.
With the "double method" theory, Hua Luogeng successfully applied mathematical knowledge to practical production practice. He has repeatedly traveled to factories, rural areas and mines to spread mathematical knowledge to frontline workers and help them solve practical problems. This practice of "going to the countryside with mathematics" has not only improved the mathematical literacy of the workers and peasants, but also made a major contribution to the country's economic construction.
It is worth mentioning that Hua Luogeng did not give up the pursuit of pure theoretical research while promoting applied mathematics. In 1982, in his article "Mathematical Methods and National Economy: A Preface", he proposed the idea of using mathematical methods to solve economic problems. Although this idea was not finally realized, it showed Hua Luogeng's persistent pursuit of mathematics and his great concern for national development.
In general, Hua Luogeng, as a self-taught mathematician, has made great achievements in both pure theoretical research and application promotion. His life can be said to have made indelible contributions to the cause of mathematics in the motherland, and he is well-deserved to be praised as the "God of Chinese Mathematics" by later generations.
Hua Luogeng's patriotic feelings
Hua Luogeng is not only a master of mathematics, but also a patriot with a pure heart and the courage to serve the motherland. Throughout his long life, his love for his country and nation can be seen everywhere.
In 1937, at the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, Hua Luogeng resolutely gave up the opportunity to study at Cambridge University in England and took the initiative to return to China to join the Anti-Japanese War. At that time, he was only 27 years old, and his career was on the rise, and he could have studied and researched comfortably at a prestigious university in the United Kingdom. But in the face of the national crisis, he did not hesitate at all, and chose to return to China without hesitation.
After returning to China, Hua Luogeng first taught at Southwest Associated University, and then moved west with the school, experiencing hardships. It was in this environment that he completed his debut work, The Theory of Stacked Prime Numbers, which brought a new atmosphere to the Chinese mathematical community. It can be said that it is his work that makes Chinese mathematics shine in the flames of war.
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Hua Luogeng could have gone to the United States to coach and live a comfortable life. However, he scolded Fang Qiu, issued an open letter calling on overseas students to return to China, and called on everyone to contribute to the construction of New China with his own actions.
"Science has no borders, but scientists have a homeland. This sentence is the true portrayal of Hua Luogeng's back then. Although he is an internationally renowned mathematician, his love for his country has never wavered.
After entering New China, Hua Luogeng spread mathematical knowledge to the front line of industrial and agricultural production. He has repeatedly traveled to factories, rural areas, and mines to teach mathematics to frontline workers and help them solve practical problems. This practice of "going to the countryside with mathematics" has not only improved the mathematical literacy of the workers and peasants, but also made a major contribution to the country's economic construction.
In 1965, Hua Luogeng calculated the launch site of the Soviet intercontinental missile by virtue of a "curved quadrilateral" published by the Soviet Union in a report on the popularization of mathematics. This astonishing move not only shocked Western countries, but also forced the Soviet Union to change the way it was announced to prevent leaks. It can be seen that Hua Luogeng's mathematical talent not only benefits the country, but also makes great contributions to the country.
It is worth mentioning that Hua Luogeng's love for the country and the nation is also reflected in his ardent expectations for the younger generation. He has repeatedly encouraged students to cherish their time, study hard, and contribute to the construction of the country in the future.
On June 12, 1985, Hua Luogeng died of a sudden heart attack at the University of Tokyo, Japan, at the age of 75. The life of this "people's mathematician" is selfless dedication to the motherland and the people. He used his actions to interpret what it means to love the country and the people, and made outstanding contributions to national construction with mathematical wisdom.
Hua Luogeng's legendary past of cracking Soviet military secrets
On an ordinary day in 1965, Hua Luogeng gave a report on the popularization of mathematics for students in a middle school. Halfway through the presentation, he suddenly mentioned something that shocked everyone present.
It turned out that not long ago, the Soviet government issued an announcement to the world, saying that it would conduct a test launch of an intercontinental missile in a certain area of the Pacific Ocean, and in order to ensure the safety of navigation, the announcement deliberately drew a "curved quadrilateral" area on the map to remind nearby ships to detour.
This is undoubtedly a military secret, and the Soviet side, out of secrecy, deliberately replaced the specific coordinates of the actual launch site with curved quadrilaterals. They believe that no one will be able to deduce the exact place where the missile was launched as long as the precise location is not disclosed.
However, what the Soviets never expected was that Hua Luogeng had directly deduced that the missile launch site was in the Ural Mountains just by relying on this "curved quadrilateral!" This is top-secret information that even the intelligence agencies of Western countries cannot detect.
There was an uproar at the scene, and everyone was impressed by Hua Luogeng's amazing mathematical skills. Someone asked him how he did it, but Hua Luogeng smiled indifferently and did not reveal too many details.
According to some later records, the reason why Hua Luogeng was able to solve this mystery was mainly because he used the theory of "curved quadrilateral" in analytic geometry. Based on the shape of the area announced by the Soviet Union, combined with some other known conditions, he finally settled on the exact location of the missile launch site through sophisticated mathematical deductions.
This astonishing move not only shocked Western countries, but even the Soviet Union panicked. In order to prevent further leaks, the Soviet Union subsequently used a curved quadrilateral when announcing the area of impact of the test, but instead used four coordinate points to frame a rectilinear quadrilateral area.
As a result, even if a mathematician tries to calculate again, he will not be able to get the exact location of the launch site. It can be seen that Hua Luogeng's mathematical wisdom taught the Soviets a lesson, so that they had to change the way they made the announcement.
This incident caused a great sensation at the time, and countless people sincerely admired Hua Luogeng's mathematical talent and wisdom. For a time, he became the focus of attention of the whole country and was known as the "God of Chinese Mathematics".
However, for Hua Luogeng himself, this was just a small episode in his mathematical career. He never exaggerated about this matter, but continued to devote himself to research and made more outstanding contributions to the country's mathematical cause.
Hua Luogeng's wisdom and quality of life
In Hua Luogeng's long and legendary life, he not only showed extraordinary mathematical talent, but also reflected noble personality strength and unique life wisdom. These qualities are an important reason why he has been able to achieve outstanding deeds.
First of all, Hua Luogeng has an optimistic, tenacious, diligent and studious character. Despite his poor background and physical disability, he never compromised on his fate. On the contrary, he faced life with a positive and optimistic attitude, and made up for his family and physical deficiencies with diligence and studiousness.
While teaching at Tsinghua University, Hua Luogeng studied for more than ten hours a day, and in addition to publishing papers, he also taught himself many Chinese. He was like being chased by a beast of prey, and he tirelessly moved forward. When others asked him why he was so "anxious", he admitted that if he wanted to catch up with others, he had to work weekdays.
It is this character of never being complacent, diligent and studious that has made Hua Luogeng make outstanding achievements in mathematical theory research and is known as the "God of Chinese Mathematics". Even with his advanced age and deteriorating health, he continued to pursue it until the last moment of his life.
Secondly, Hua Luogeng leads by example and influences students with actions. As an outstanding educator, he not only preaches and solves problems in the classroom, but also sets an example for his students with his own life experiences.
He has repeatedly encouraged students to cherish their time, study hard, and contribute to the construction of the country in the future. And he himself is the best interpreter of this idea.
During the Anti-Japanese War, Hua Luogeng took the initiative to give up the opportunity to study at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom and resolutely returned to China to join the Anti-Japanese War. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, he could have gone to the United States to teach and live a good life, but he scolded Fang Xuan and published an open letter calling on overseas students to return to China to build the motherland.
After entering New China, Hua Luogeng spread mathematical knowledge to the front line of industrial and agricultural production, and made significant contributions to the country's economic construction. He has worked hard all his life, but he has never stopped his pursuit of knowledge and his motherland.
Finally, Hua Luogeng's persistent pursuit and research spirit of mathematics are also worthy of learning from future generations. Despite his poor family and low diploma, his love for mathematics has never wavered.
From the extraordinary talent he showed in junior high school, to his later outstanding achievements in the two fields of pure theory and application promotion, and then to the combination of mathematics and economics that he was still studying before his death, Hua Luogeng used his life to interpret what is the persistent pursuit of a career.
On June 12, 1985, 75-year-old Hua Luogeng suddenly died of a heart attack while giving a speech at the University of Tokyo in Japan. The life of this "people's mathematician" is selfless dedication to the motherland and the people. He demonstrated the spirit of patriotism and love for the people with his actions, and made outstanding contributions to national construction with mathematical wisdom.