He won the Gold Award of the Mathematics Conference, and he hoped that he would look forward to it and encourage young people

Text ｜ "China Science News" reporter Han Yangmei

Ding Jian was wearing a black suit and sitting on the stage, staring at the stage, his eyes were sincere, and he was slightly nervous.

In August of this year, at the Ninth World Chinese Mathematics Conference (ICCM), after winning the "2022ICCM Mathematics Award" due to excellent probability theory research, Ding Jian was invited to participate in a media with mathematician Qiu Chengtong and Yang Le, etc. meeting.

"Obviously I don't meet such a scene." Faced with dozens of reporters "besieging" questions, Ding Jian answered only after being "named" by Qiu Chengtong.

In the morning two days later, when Ding Jian was good, he was still on the stage as an outstanding reporter for an academic report. There are both old qualified mathematicians and young talents. Ding Jian spoke fluent English and smooth expression, and confidently managed.

Ding Jian, a "post -80s" mathematician, is not bad. His story is not similar to the story of most "talent" mathematicians, but it can give people confidence and encouragement.

Ding Jian is in Hawaii. Interviewee confidence

"Mathematics is okay, but the competition major

The training classmate is a ‘scum’ ”

In January this year, Ding Jian left the United States and joined Peking University with full -time full -time.

Ding Jian's growth experience is not very "typical".

He has not worked for Olympiad since he was a child, has not entered the Winter Camp of Mathematics, and has not revealed a special hobby of mathematics when he was a child. The first volunteer of the college entrance examination is not mathematics. During middle school, Ding Jian just felt that he was "mathematics, the exam was done faster, and he was interested, but compared with the students who were trained in the competition, it was a 'scum'."

"High School Mathematics League is the only mathematical competition I have participated in." Ding Jian remembered that there were 3 major questions in the second trial. You can only understand a plane geometry, and think about it. I only did this question. The idea was right. I took the full score of this question and won the provincial league award, but the ranking was not high. "

Now looking back, Ding Jian admits that he is not so concerned about the competition. "Of course, students who enter the winter camp will have an advantage than ordinary students, but if they go up, the knowledge reserves are not far away."

When the college entrance examination reports the volunteer, Ding Jian has limited information with his parents, and the idea is also very simple -there will be a good job in the future.

"I basically think it is good for all the popular majors in the news media." Ding Jian told the Journal of Science of China with a smile.

At that time, he wanted to report to the School of Life Sciences of Peking University at that time, but the admissions teacher of Peking University dismissed him when he preached in high school, "You need not consider your grades." Because his score has just crossed Peking University's admission line, life science is one of the hottest majors.

The first volunteer of Ding Jian is electronics, the second is the computer, the third is the information management and information system, and the fourth is "the professional that looks promising at the time" -Mathematics.

In 2002, Ding Jian "stepped on the score line" and was admitted to the professional professional and information system of Beijing University.

In the first year of Peking University, he did not learn many professional courses. He only learned the best in higher mathematics, but he wanted to learn computer.

At that time, the teacher told Ding Jian that the idea was that he had learned mathematics, and the graduate students missed everything. He decided to "curve to save the country", first transferred to mathematics, and then transferred computer at the graduate stage.

Mathematics is hailed as the crown of nature science, the queen of science, and the highest achievements in human thinking ... Studying mathematics is never an easy task, let alone "halfway to turn around."

"Lotte" is an obvious feature of Ding Jian. Although he was still determined to do mathematical research at that time, he impressed that "doing mathematics is a very bitter thing", but he was not paid because of "bitterness".

In 2003, when Ding Jian was about to transfer to the examination, the SARS epidemic came, and Peking University stopped the class.

"For me, this is an opportunity to focus on learning and heart." Ding Jian felt that panic was useless, so he took the high algebraic simplified tutorial every day, mathematical analysis exercises, etc., etc. At that time, there were often only one or two people in the classroom.

Later, everything was recovered, and Ding Jian was admitted to the School of Mathematics. As a "intercourse", Ding Jian has not yet established a "revolutionary friendship" with his classmates, and often goes to the undergraduate reading room alone, staying there from morning to night. He is familiar with the person in the undergraduate reading room.

"At first I was a little sincere, and I couldn't understand the problems in the discussion of the people around me. After half a semester, I was better than them, and I had self -confidence." Knowledge is not so solid, and you need to make up slowly in the future.

Ding Jian (second from right) won the "2022ICCM Mathematics Prize Award", Qiu Chengtong (first from left), Philz prize winner Caucher Birkar (second from left), and Zheng Li (first from right), vice president of Tsinghua University.

Photo Conferring in Qiu Chengtong Mathematics Center of Tsinghua University

Always maintain the state of "opening the door and welcome guests"

And the mentality of "follow the wave"

At the School of Mathematics, Ding Jian met an important teacher in his mathematics career -Chen Dayue. He is a well -known mathematician in the field of random process and the dean of the School of Mathematics and Science of Mathematics.

Ding Jian described Chen Dayue's application random process classroom with "fierce". "The difficulty of the course is very famous. I am worried about hanging a subject. I really study hard. After reading a lot of extra -curricular books, the other courses just finish the exercises in the book."

At that time, in order to learn the random map, he also issued a discussion class for two people with Chen Dayue's doctoral students, and later went to the discussion class of Academician Ma Zhiming, the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Ding Jian did not expect that such a difficult lesson really learned to go in, and he was quite interested. In my junior year, Ding Jian climbed Xiangshan and talked about whether to transfer the computer again.

With a little feeling but before it was clear, Ding Jian's state was that the mentor asked him to do what he did. After graduating from Peking University, Ding Jian went to the University of California, Berkeley, a Ph.D., and studied from the top international probability scholar and foreign academician of the American Academy of Sciences.

With the deepening of learning, Ding Jian felt the charm of probability more and more. "Many directions have a big problem or core problem that everyone wants to solve, but the charm of probability is not this. Its vitality is that it can be seen in many places, including pure mathematics, physics, computer science, etc. It also includes many applications. "

The probability of obsession may be related to his personality. Ding Jian always has an open thinking and a state of opening the door. Whether at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago, or at Peking University, Ding Jian's office has always opened the door, and others can go in to talk to him at any time.

"Sometimes their problems make me interested or feel a little bit. I will start cooperation. I will think about what probability skills they need to use." Ding Jian said.

Ding Jian likes to chat with people, and laughed at the mentality of "follow the flow". At the Berkeley campus, Ding Jian met two friends, Allan Sly and Nike Sun. They often gathered together to chat and found common interests.

For a long time, they were Ding Jian's English teacher, and they corrected Ding Jian's language errors in real time during chat.

Ding Jian won the "Davison Award" because of the RANDOM K-SAT problem that has completed the cooperation with the collaborators in the Ma's chain and random swimming coverage before. This is a award set up by the Lomato Davison Foundation to reward young mathematicians who are engaged in probability theory and have achieved excellent results. Ding Jian is the fourth Chinese who won the award.

There are more than one friends, research interests and achievements that chat and chat.

"During the Ph.D., I have been working with my instructor. In the next few years, I found that I can discuss with many people and do a lot of different directions. This may be the first time I feel that I have grown up after graduation." Ding Jian Say.

Mathematicians usually use annual measures. Ding Jian also has anxiety and self -doubt, because it is normal to not be able to do it. There are too many difficult things. The most difficult thing is that there is no idea at all, and there is no wrong idea.

At this time, Ding Jian will eat and talk with his brothers. When he is alone, he also listens to music. It is mainly old songs such as Luo Dayou, Li Zongsheng, Teresa Teng, Faye Wong, etc. In addition, staying at least two hours a day to focus on thinking.

Ding Jian said that it is most important to think about it. "Even if I doubt myself, I have never stopped."

Hope "I look forward to it"

Can inspire "self -doubt young people"

The "last stop" before Ding Jian returned to China was a professor and professor at the Department of Statistics and Data Science, a professor of lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania.

He starts from his residence every morning and arrives at the office for about 25 minutes. For him, this is a process of relaxation and thinking.

The vegetation along the way is dense and green, and the scenery is appreciated and arranged in the brain to arrange a day of work.

In Pin University, he has achieved excellent results in the intersection of probability theory and statistical physical models such as random geometry, Liu Wei's quantum gravity, and statistical physical models, and statistical physics.

Ding Jian said that there has always been planning to return to China, and it is not suddenly. In 15 years, Ding Jian has never interrupted his contact with domestic, and has also cooperated with teachers at Peking University.

Cultural identity is an important factor in driving Ding Jian back to China. "I know 'East Evil Poison', but I can't understand the 'Bits' (a British band) they talk about, talking and chatting with people in China, and it is even more like fish." For Ding Jian, this has nothing to do with it. Cause of culture.

Back to Peking University, Ding Jian considered not only to impact the most difficult and challenging issues, but also began to deploy students training on this soil.

In the past half of the past six years, Ding Jian was doing "meaningful pavement". He chose the direction of the potential, that is, the combination probability and combination statistics. "I think it can lead to a larger issue, that is, the calculation complexity of random optimization problems. At the same time, at the same time, we can progress within a few months, mobilize students' morale, so that students can learn relevant knowledge , Receive some basic research training. "

In recent years, in order to exercise, Ding Jian has started running. It has been running for almost 300 days a year, 4 to 5 kilometers a day. I don't want anything when I run.

Today, the younger generation of mathematicians face a more complex academic environment. In front of them, there are both the best conditions and "ambush" with too many academic temptations and problems. They need to "find their own way".

Ding Jian believes that the years after the doctoral graduation are critical. He told the Journal of China that after graduating from the PhD, he should not completely do it around the work of the doctor, because the subject of doctoral dissertation is difficult to be your own topic, but it cannot start another stove.

"How to apply the familiar methods, skills, and thinking during the doctoral period to another suitable scene, ask a meaningful question, and find your own space, which is important." Ding Jian said that this is also respect for the academic game game The manifestation of the rules, "You must accept assessment and come up with some evidence before getting Tenure to prove your independence and originality. Next, you can develop according to your own personality." Ding Jian does not want mathematicians as a group, and is always well known for always because of the tragic struggle story.

Mathematicians are also ordinary people. They have an ordinary life, and they are more effective on the road of pursuing academic honors.

As Ding Jian said when he won the "2022iccm Mathematics Prize Award", "In the days when morale in the future, this medal can be inspired, or other young people who are suspicious, see me in mathematics in mathematics After the difficulty on the road, it will give birth to a "he can, and I must have a" you can, and this medal will achieve its greatest value. "

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"China Science News" (2022-09-01 The 4th edition of the character original title "Even self-doubts never stop")

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Edit | Zhao Lu

Capture | Guo Gang

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