Anonymous board,
[Guys, our Duck Lord is ㅠㅠ]
-Looks like Duck Lord caused an incident in America. My dad’s a physics professor, and he’s been so excited since this morning that he asked me if I knew Duck Lord.
But he kept saying weird stuff, like how they had to bring that kid into the world of physics no matter what. He called every professor he knows in America and checked again and again to see if it was really true. Of course, I didn’t understand any of it.
Waaah ㅠㅠ Duck Lord, don’t leave us behind!
└If you go on the New York Times right now, Duck Lord’s picture is up there.
└There’s breaking news on the BBC too.
└Seems like it’s related to the Riemann Hypothesis? While we were solving workbooks, Duck Lord was playing with a Millennium Problem lol
└He might really fly away now ㅠㅠ
└No! Duck Lord still needs a nestㅠㅠ There are still soccer skills I haven’t finished teaching him.
└If Duck Lord leaves, does that mean the Quack-Quack updates are over too?
└There’s an emergency broadcast on TV right now! Let’s all watch! (link)
“What the hell is this?”
Taejin rubbed his eyes and looked at the screen again.
When he woke up in the morning, the anonymous board was in an uproar.
After reading all the posts and comments, Taejin clicked the link.
Click.
Doo-roo-doo-doong, doo-doo-doong—
The opening music played, and the camera slowly lit up the studio.
“Good day, viewers.
This is the in-depth science talk show ‘Science and the City,’ coming to you with a special broadcast. Today, we’ll be covering the recent news that has become a hot topic.
Joining us is Professor Kim Hayun, who conducts interdisciplinary research in mathematics and physics. Welcome.”
“Good to be here.”
“We’ve heard that academic circles in the United States and Europe are in quite an uproar right now. How did you see this, Professor?”
Professor Kim adjusted his glasses and smiled.
“As a scientist myself, I couldn’t contain my excitement. And I was both surprised and proud that a Korean student was at the center of this event.”
“Could you explain it in simpler terms? People like us can watch the news and still not understand what happened.”
“To put only the core of it, it’s this.
Yu Seoha observed quantum chaos in an MIT laboratory.”
The host cut him off and interjected.
“That’s where it already sounds a bit strange to me.
Yu Seoha is still fourteen years old, isn’t he? He skipped grades and skipped grades, so he’s only just become a high school student, right? Then how was he able to participate in a quantum experiment at MIT?”
“Hahaha! This probably hasn’t happened at MIT before either.
There’s a well-known academic event called the ‘Young Mathematician Forum.’ He was invited there. As for what happened after that, I’m not entirely sure myself.”
“Yes, please continue.”
“During that experiment, he made a peculiar claim.
He said that at the moment quantum energy vanishes, a subtle phase shift is detected. And he proposed the hypothesis that the pattern of that shift matches the internal wave hidden within the Riemann zeta function.”
The computer graphics prepared in advance were broadcast.
The oscillation line of a quantum wave and the waveform of the Riemann zeta function overlapped.
“It sounds difficult just hearing it. More simply, please.”
“When a quantum is generated or vanishes, there should be intervals between energy levels, correct?”
The host nodded.
“Yes, I understand that much.”
“The claim that those intervals are astonishingly similar to the statistics of the spacing between the zeros of the Riemann zeta function has existed since 1973.”
“So there has long been a statistical similarity, that they ‘resemble’ each other.”
“That’s right. But that was where it ended. The goal of physics is prediction, you see. Where is the next point? No one had been able to figure that out.
As a result, recently the prevailing view had become that perhaps even that similarity was merely coincidental.”
The host let out a laugh mixed with admiration.
“Aha! Now I’m starting to understand.”
“But Yu Seoha revealed that that wasn’t all there was to it.
Beyond statistical similarity, he brought in the dynamical characteristic of phase rotation and proposed a new correspondence that directly connects with changes in the argument on the zeta function side—that is how I would put it.”
“The terminology is difficult, but I think I understand the general idea. But why is this such an important discovery?”
“There are two reasons.”
Professor Kim Hayun held up two fingers.
“First, through an observable physical signal, it became possible to confirm in reality the structure of the Riemann zeta function, which had until now been considered a completely abstract existence.
Second, the mathematical model presented in that process opened the possibility that this is not simply a matter of ‘resemblance,’ but can actually be matched one-to-one with real phase changes.”
A brief silence followed.
“Does that mean the Riemann Hypothesis, a difficult problem even a layperson like me has heard of, may be proven?”
Professor Kim shook his head.
“Not immediately.
Hmm… Let me put it in an analogy. You like games, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Suppose we have to clear a dungeon called the Riemann Hypothesis, but until now, we weren’t even in a position to enter it.
We were only circling around it, guessing, ‘How big is this dungeon?’ or ‘What kind of monsters might appear inside?’”
“Aha!”
“But Yu Seoha has found the entrance to the dungeon. Now we’ll have to go in and fight hard.”
At Professor Kim’s analogy, the staff in the studio covered their mouths and laughed.
“I hear that papers are being verified in countries all over the world right now.”
“That’s correct. Harvard, Oxford, the University of Tokyo, Germany’s Max Planck Institute, and several other places have begun experiments to reproduce the data. MIT seemed confident in the results.
If they hadn’t been certain to begin with, an institution like MIT would not have rushed to publish the paper like that.”
“Then what comes next? Once verification is complete, what happens?”
Professor Kim grinned. Excitement was clearly visible on his face.
“From that point on, it’s infinite competition. No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the competition has already begun.
The prize money of one million dollars is a large sum, but the Riemann Hypothesis has history and symbolism. If someone solves it, people will be talking about it even a thousand years from now. As a scholar, it would be impossible not to covet it.”
The host exclaimed in admiration.
“Wow, that really gives me chills. I can’t believe the person who accomplished something so incredible is a fourteen-year-old Korean boy.”
“It isn’t only you, anchor. The whole world was shocked.
There probably isn’t a university right now that doesn’t want to take Yu Seoha. I’m sure they’re all making tremendous efforts.”
“Is the Riemann Hypothesis the most important problem for humanity?”
“I am not well versed in every field of mathematics, but I can firmly say that it is not.
A proof of the Riemann Hypothesis would be a major milestone for the mathematical world, but there are other problems that have a far greater impact on our lives.”
“If you had to name just one?”
Professor Kim answered without hesitation.
“The Navier–Stokes equations, one of the Millennium Problems.”
“Why is that problem important?”
“The Navier–Stokes equations are formulas that describe the motion of fluids—gases and liquids.
From the flow of water to atmospheric circulation, waves, and the movement of clouds, all of these can be expressed with these equations. To put it simply, they are an attempt to mathematically analyze every ‘flow’ in the world.”
“It sounds impressive just hearing about it.”
Professor Kim smiled and waved his hand.
“In truth, mathematicians don’t particularly like this problem.
Fluids! Doesn’t the word alone give you an immediate sense of it? There is too much uncertainty. But the important thing is that it is a subject we absolutely must study.”
“Because it has to do with the Earth?”
“Because it is the foundation of life that we must protect. Even now, there are many problems due to climate abnormalities caused by global warming, aren’t there?
If we come to fully understand these equations, we will be able to predict Earth’s future with considerable precision. You could say that this is directly connected to the question of humanity’s survival.”
“That sounds rather solemn. It makes it seem as if mathematics determines the fate of humanity.”
“In truth, it always has.
Human civilization was built on the foundation of mathematics. Calculating dates, predicting rainfall, surveying land, navigation, astronomy… All of this is mathematics.”
Perhaps thinking the atmosphere had become too heavy, the host put on a playful expression.
“Thank you for the excellent PR for the mathematics department, Professor. Thanks to you, we now understand why the Western world is making such a fuss.
The producer is going wild telling me to wrap it up. This has been Kim Sejin, anchor of ‘Science and the City.’”
Click.
“Yu Seoha, you’re insane!”
A scream burst from Taejin’s mouth.
His phone notifications were ringing one after another. Naturally, the topic in the group chat was Seoha.
Rattle.
Taejin moved his mouse and opened the comments.
└At that level, could he get perfect scores on CSAT math and science inquiry?
└If we’re being serious, he might get something wrong. There are weird questions sometimes.
└Guys, I go to the same school as him… there won’t be any mercy, okay? He takes exams seriously.
└I couldn’t even understand what was on TV today.
└So it means there’s someone insanely smart in Korea.
└And that person is still fourteen.
└But he’s a high schooler.
└Do you really need to look at quantum stuff to know that? My life itself is chaos.
└Is a Nobel Prize possible?
└I’m a major in the field, and that depends on whether more research comes out on the physics side. You know there’s no Nobel Prize in mathematics, right?
└At that level, could he get into Seoul National University?
└Maybe if they throw in a Seoul apartment. Ah, of course, provided by the school?
“Should I get his autograph or something?”
Taejin searched how much handwritten autographs by Einstein and von Neumann were currently selling for.
* * *
On an afternoon warm with winter sunlight,
a battle of wills between two old men was taking place in the MIT president’s office.
The president looked at Leonard with cold eyes.
“Didn’t I tell you?
If the dean steps in before the admissions committee moves, there will be procedural issues. If articles later come out calling it preferential admission, will you take responsibility, Dean?”
Leonard was angry.
Because the president had rejected his proposal twice.
“The committee is no good. They’re too conservative.
Why did Elijah Cronen go to Princeton? His first choice was clearly us. But didn’t the committee take issue with his age? And they didn’t solve the problem of his family’s relocation either.”
“There are rules we must follow.”
“Are you saying we should miss the talent right in front of us because of those damned rules?”
“I also want Seoha to be our student.
The committee will send an official offer. We’ll send an admission letter under the president’s name. There have only been a few such cases in MIT’s history.”
“I’m telling you that isn’t enough.
I hear Harvard and Princeton have already sent people. Naturally, they’ll offer exceptional terms. While we’re busy following the rules, that is.”
The president shook his head as if giving up.
“Tell me what you want.”
“At the very least, we have to match their level.
Support for tuition and living expenses goes without saying, and please provide family housing so his entire family can relocate. If we enter into a Research Affiliation with Seoha, we can legally support his family’s residence.
On top of that, we can avoid the minor protection clauses.”
At this level, it was as if every convenience MIT offered to special students had been gathered in one place.
The president let out a hollow laugh.
“Anything else?”
Leonard’s demands were endless.
“I hear he has a younger sibling, so we also need to resolve health insurance and education issues. Not only introducing them to an elementary school, but if necessary, we may need to send an ELS teacher or tutor.
His household has to be stable for Seoha to focus on research.”
The president stared at Leonard as if he found him absurd.
“Are we recruiting a professor right now?”
“Mr. President!”
Leonard’s eyes widened.
“In the 1940s, we created radar that changed the course of the war. In the ’60s, we collaborated with NASA to build spacecraft. In the ’90s, we were the center of computer science in the world.
But what about now? Is there any field where we can truly say we are ahead of our rival schools?”
Bang!
The enraged president slammed his palm down on the desk.
“No university in the world is ahead of us!”
Looking at the excited president, Leonard spoke in a gentle voice.
“Not now… But no one knows the future.
Charlie, Seoha will bring glory to MIT. We will once again stand at the center of the world as the one and only mecca of intellect.”
The president’s eyes shook violently.