Yang Zhenning is now a world-renowned physicist and Nobel Laureate. His achievements today are inseparable from his father Yang Wuzhi.
Yang Wuzhi, the first person in China's number theory, is also quite legendary in his life.
▲Yang Wuzhi (front right), Yang Zhenning (back left)
Originally, Yang Wuzhi was only a middle school teacher, serving as the director of training and teaching at his alma mater, Anhui Provincial No. 2 Middle School.
The young Yang Wuzhi, unaccustomed to the lazy style of those stupid children in the school, implemented strict discipline and discipline, but unexpectedly was retaliated by the students. The parents of the students used their own power to protect, and actually let the school fail, Yang Wuzhi was angry and left his post and transferred to Anqing Middle School to teach.
However, this little thing is like the "butterfly effect", when the butterfly initially flaps its wings. Because of this incident, Yang Wuzhi was greatly touched and decided to study abroad, devote himself to the cause of science, and change the backward status quo of the motherland.
▲Anqing, Yang Wuzhi's hometown
Therefore, during the teaching period in Anqing, Yang Wuzhi actively prepared for the study abroad examination, and it was at this time that the eldest son Yang Zhenning was born, the reason why it was called "Zhenning", Zhen means revitalization, and Ning is the abbreviation of Anqing.
Soon, Yang Wuzhi successfully passed the Anhui Provincial Publicly-funded Study Abroad Examination, studied at Stanford University and the University of Chicago in the United States, and became The Doctor of The First Numerical Theory Research Direction in China.
▲ Aerial photo of the University of Chicago
Yang Wuzhi was a professor at one of the top cattle schools in China at the time.
1928-1929 Professor, Xiamen University;
1929-1937 Professor, Tsinghua University;
1937-1946 Professor, Southwest Union University;
1946-1949 Professor, Tsinghua University;
1950-1952 Professor, Tongji University;
1952-1973 Professor, Fudan University.
▲ Hua Luogeng
It can be said that the number theory of two generations of mathematicians in China was basically taught by him alone. Among them, the most famous are Hua Luogeng and Chen Shengshen.
Hua Luogeng was self-taught and stepped into Tsinghua Garden. The chosen research direction is number theory, under the tutelage of Yang Wuzhi.
In 1938, after Studying Abroad, Hua Luogeng went to teach at Southwest Union University, and the head of the department at that time was also Yang Wuzhi.
Yang Wuli defied the consensus and proposed to the school that Hua Luogeng be directly promoted to full professor, and later the school agreed to Yang Wuzhi's proposal.
At that time, if you wanted to become a full professor, you needed to be promoted by lecturers and associate professors.
Therefore, in many subsequent interviews, Hua Luogeng expressed his gratitude to Professor Yang for his kindness.
▲ Hua Luogeng and the students
Another mathematical master, Chen Shengsheng, is also deeply related to Yang Wuzhi.
Yang Wuzhi taught Chen Shengsheng, and Chen Shengsheng taught Yang Zhenning.
Chen Shengsheng's ability to study abroad is also the result of Yang Wuzhi's many efforts.
▲Chen Province
What is more interesting is that Chen Shengsheng's marriage was also promoted by Yang Wuzhi.
At that time, there was an old professor in Tsinghua named Zheng Tongsun, who admired Chen Shengsheng very much and wanted him to become his son-in-law.
Yang Wuzhi saw Zheng Tongsun's thoughts, and became a red bride, and finally promoted this beautiful marriage.
▲Chen Shengshen, Yang Zhenning
Yang Wuzhi's wife, Luo Menghua, only studied in private school for a few years. After Yang Wuzhi returned to China from studying abroad, he became a generation of masters in Tsinghua Garden.
At that time, in Tsinghua Garden, most of Yang Wuzhi's colleagues and wives graduated from college, and many were still international students.
Luo Menghua was very worried that the huge gap in education and cultural level even made her think that if her husband divorced her, she would raise Yang Zhenning alone.
▲Yang Zhenning
However, Yang Wuzhi loves his wife very much, not only do the two have a very good relationship, but Yang Wuzhi often shows off everywhere: to find a wife, you have to find my wife like this.
Yang Zhenning's son was named Yang Guangnuo, and this name was yang Wuzhi.
Yang Wuzhi hoped that Yang Zhenning could win the Nobel Prize, so he gave his grandson this name.
▲Yang Zhenning and his wife Du Zhili
Later, Yang Zhenning lived up to expectations and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957, becoming a world-famous scientist.
Yang Wuzhi was very strict with Yang Zhenning's education and paid great attention to teaching Yang Zhenning's traditional culture.
▲ Yang Zhenning and his wife Weng Fan
When Yang Zhenning was 12 years old, Yang Wuzhi also specially asked Someone to teach Yang Zhenning to read ancient books such as Mencius.
Yang Wuzhi also often admonished Yang Zhenning to serve the motherland, and Yang Zhenning's Chinese feelings were largely influenced by his father.