Exploring the Genetic Code of the "Hometown of Mathematicians"

Reporter Liu Li from our newspaperThe Bailuzhou Park on the banks of the Nantang River in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province has an ancient and picturesque atmosphere, showcasing the charm of a water town. A quaint Chinese style courtyard is located in this park, attracting a large number of tourists, especially those interested in mathematics

Reporter Liu Li from our newspaper

The Bailuzhou Park on the banks of the Nantang River in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province has an ancient and picturesque atmosphere, showcasing the charm of a water town. A quaint Chinese style courtyard is located in this park, attracting a large number of tourists, especially those interested in mathematics. This is the ancestral home of Gu Chaohao, a famous mathematician, winner of the National Highest Science and Technology Award and academician of the CAS Member.

Gu Chaohao is just one representative of many Wenzhou mathematicians. More than 200 scholars and professors in the field of mathematics have come out of Wenzhou in the past century, such as Jiang Lifu, Su Buqing, Gu Chaohao, Li Ruifu, Fang Dezhi, Xu Xianxiu, Xu Guifang, Bai Zhengguo, Xiang Fuchen, Jiang Boju... It is reported that one third of the directors of mathematics departments in major universities in China were from Wenzhou, and 9 of the academicians in the field of mathematics of the Central Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences were from Wenzhou. In 2003, Chen Shengshen, the winner of the Wolf Prize for International Highest Mathematical Achievement, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a famous mathematician, gladly wrote "Home of Mathematicians" when he visited Wenzhou.

In order to polish the business card of the "hometown of mathematicians", comprehensively showcase the style of Wenzhou mathematicians, and better explore and promote the precious spiritual wealth of these mathematicians, in November 2012, after a year of organizational preparation, this "valley house" located in the golden zone of Wenzhou was built into the "Wenzhou Mathematics Celebrity Hall", which is open to the public for free.

In mid October, the reporter came to Wenzhou with the China Association for Science and Technology's "Entering the 'Zheli' Scientist Community" research activity to learn about the story of promoting the spirit of scientists based on their former residences.

Gu Zhai "is a seven bedroom courtyard facing west and east, which is a typical residential building in Wenzhou. The courtyard is secluded, deep, and serene, decorated with wells, flower beds, and vegetation, simple and exquisite. In the small central courtyard, a group of bronze statue figures on the north side draws people to a stop. The outstanding mathematicians from Wenzhou, including Jiang Lifu, Su Buqing, and Gu Chaohao, gathered here through time and space.

The exhibition hall selected 29 representative mathematicians from Wenzhou from different periods according to the timeline, and presented their lives and achievements to the audience in various forms such as display boards, physical objects, and multimedia, allowing people to understand the history of the "hometown of mathematicians" and the glory of Wenzhou in cultivating and cultivating mathematical talents.

Many people who come to the exhibition hall will ask, 'Why are there so many mathematicians in Wenzhou?' The staff of the 'Wenzhou Mathematical Celebrity Hall' introduced us to the results of local research. Wenzhou people believe that the regional character of "practicality and diligence" and the coastal environment with convenient information have created a large group of mathematicians from Wenzhou. The group character of being hardworking and hardworking is particularly evident in Wenzhou mathematicians. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Wenzhou had frequent sea transportation with both domestic and foreign countries. Modern mathematics from Japan and Europe and America was introduced to China, and it arrived in Wenzhou as soon as possible. Wenzhou young people who are willing to use their brains and are not afraid of difficulties often choose this subject. After returning to their hometowns, Wenzhou people who study abroad mostly engage in mathematical education, which makes the flower of mathematics take root and sprout in Wenzhou.

The story of mathematicians who closely link their personal fate with the future of the country displayed in the exhibition hall is impressive. In order to make modern mathematics take root and sprout in China as soon as possible, Jiang Lifu, who graduated with a PhD in mathematics from Harvard University, gave up his personal research and devoted himself to the cause of education. In 1920, he founded the Department of Mathematics at Nankai University. This is the second department of mathematics established in Chinese universities after Peking University. For the next four years, as the only teacher in the entire department, Jiang Lifu taught both public mathematics courses at the School of Science and all mathematics major courses in the Department of Mathematics. The truly 'one person system' has opened a new chapter in modern mathematics education in China. Outstanding mathematicians such as Jiang Zehan, Wu Daren, Su Buqing, and Hua Luogeng were all influenced and promoted by Jiang Lifu. More than 10 years later, with a solid foundation in the Mathematics Department of Nankai University, Jiang Lifu resumed his academic research work. He once said, "I am willing to dedicate my life to Chinese mathematics

Su Buqing, the founder of the Chinese School of Differential Geometry and known as the "First Geometrist of the East", is also a representative of Wenzhou mathematicians. To save the country, we must revitalize science and develop industry. Mathematics is the foundation of developing science and technology, and we must learn mathematics well. "This sentence from a high school mathematics teacher in Wenzhou influenced Su Buqing's life. Su Buqing has served as the Dean of Zhejiang University and the President of Fudan University. In addition to academic research, he devoted a lot of effort to educating talents. His student Gu Chaohao once introduced in a commemorative article that Su Buqing's vision is not limited to universities. He is very concerned about middle school mathematics education, personally writing mathematics textbooks, and even holding a series of lectures for middle school teachers in his 80s to introduce modern mathematics knowledge. In 1998, Su Buqing was awarded the Ho Leung Ho Lee Science and Technology Achievement Award. He used the HKD 1 million prize to reward middle school mathematics teachers and Fudan Mathematics Department teachers and students.

The Wenzhou Mathematics Celebrity Hall is just one of the many educational resources for the spirit of scientists in Wenzhou city. During this survey, the reporter also visited the Su Buqing Valley Super Hero Memorial Hall of Wenzhou University, as well as the research and learning route built in Pingyang County, Wenzhou City based on Su Buqing's hometown, including Su Buqing's former residence, Su Buqing's inspirational education hall, and mathematics mystery hall. Zhu Shiwen, Director of the Office of the Wenzhou Association for Science and Technology, introduced that exploring how to better utilize these scientists' spiritual education resources is an important task for their future work.

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