Chapter 520: A shocking hypothesis!

On Weibo.

The live updates of pictures and commentary posts from Summer Palace Park suddenly stopped at this moment and it stayed quiet for a few seconds. Then, a Weibo video streamed live from the venue by a netizen suddenly exploded with views!

"F**k that shit!"

"Teacher Zhang must be going crazy!"

"Heavens! Teacher Zhang is going to attempt to do math?"

Many netizens were posting on the live video's comment section with unintelligible comments.

As most of them were not at the event, they did not understand the exact situation and quickly asked for updates.

"What's the matter?"

"Quick, someone explain what’s going on!"

"I'm so anxious right now, what is Zhang Ye up to this time?"

Many of Zhang Ye's old friends also found out about the live stream and tuned in as well.

Yao Jiancai posted a comment: "I'm late? Is something big happening again?"

Peking University Chinese department's Su Na: "What do you mean by attempting a math problem?"

Following that, a newly registered Weibo account named "Zhang Ye's Mother" also posted, but as the person did not seem to be too well versed with technology, a string of random characters appeared: "#53$." The owner of the account was, as it claimed, Zhang Ye's mother. She had also kept pace with technology and learned about getting online with Weibo, joining in to get the latest updates about her son.

Pa! A photo of the venue and happenings was posted. Zhang Ye was sitting in front of a whiteboard with his left hand placed in his pocket and his right hand holding a marker pen. He was writing some numbers and formulas on the whiteboard, which was not understood by the common layman. Beside him were some Americans whose faces were in a shock and another whiteboard that was filled with writings. The Chinese mathematicians, like Han Henian, also appeared near the boundary of the photo and like the Americans, his face was full of shock too!

What was the atmosphere at the scene like?

The photo had depicted it clearly!

The netizens could even feel the excitement and shock like they were there as their hearts started pounding heavily!

"Say something!"

"What on earth is going on?"

"What is Zhang Ye doing?"

"What kind of math question is that? And why are the mathematicians all looking with faces like that? Why are their eyes like that? What are they looking at?"

"People who are at the scene! Please do a live stream!"

Before anyone who was present at the event itself could reply, a netizen suddenly exclaimed and asked, "That whiteboard at the side, could it be Dale's Conjecture? I can't be wrong! It definitely has to be! The Americans must have once used Dale's Conjecture as the topic for this year's International Math Olympiad's after-event once again!"

"What's Dale's Conjecture?"

"Is it a very difficult problem? It sounds a little familiar."

"What do you mean 'sounds a little familiar'? This is an unprovable conjecture in the world of Mathematics! It's one of the top 10 math problems in the world!"

The reputation and name of Dale's Conjecture should have been known by many, even outside of the Mathematics world.

Then, someone who was present at the event clarified with a post: "Yes, Teacher Zhang is going to.....attempt to solve the problem! He wants to regain the reputation for the Chinese on behalf of the children!"

"Ah?"

"Attempting to solve?"

"Solve Dale's Conjecture?"

"Holy sh*t!"

The netizens expressed their disbelief one by one!

......

At the venue.

The crowds were also reacting in the exact same way as the netizens did!

Han Henian nearly fainted. Did Zhang Ye skip breakfast this morning and arrive here with a rusty brain?historical

The most experienced mathematician, the old professor was shaking his head so much that he was already feeling dizzy. This Zhang Ye was too overconfident! He would disgrace himself in front of all these people!

The children had already disgraced us!

And now, you would also do the same?

Could you even begin to understand or not? Don't you know what Dale's Conjecture stood for? Don't you understand what Dale's Conjecture meant to the mathematics world? It was a wall! it was a barrier and it had not been crossed by anyone in the last few decades! Did you think it was just simple arithmetic like one plus one? Did you think this was a head of cabbage? A cabbage that could be plucked if you just used your hands? For anyone to even dare attempt to solve Dale's Conjecture or had an idea on how to do it, there were only a handful of them. These people were the mathematicians at the pinnacle of the mathematics world and only they would dare to approach it in this manner. For others like the Chinese mathematics professors or teachers, they did not even dare to dream about solving Dale's Conjecture! That's because they knew where they stood and they knew their own abilities very well!

But you're now attempting to solve it?

How big are those balls of yours!

You're really a fearless one!

Although Xin Ya had an inkling of Zhang Ye stirring up something big, she had not expect it to be what was unfolding before her eyes now. She was so speechless that she couldn't even form an opinion on it. The only thing that she wanted to do now was to turn to her childhood friend to advise her to break up with this person immediately! This person was too damn undependable! Just in one day, in the past hour, how much trouble has this boyfriend of yours stirred up? From cheating to win a cellphone, to scolding the mathematics world, and now he's even shamelessly attempting to solve a conjecture that has the whole mathematics world stifled?

Just what kind of level of difficulty was Dale's Conjecture perceived to be?

If you asked any industry insider to choose their top ten most difficult math problems, then Dale's Conjecture would definitely be on the list and it would definitely be in the top half of it! And no one would object to that! This was a publicly acknowledge constant in the mathematics world -- also known as Dale's Conjecture!

And you?

Which rock did you spring out from?

You're just a celebrity from the entertainment circle, a learner of literature, a teacher who teaches in the Chinese department. From head to toe, all you reek of is the liberal arts, so why the heck were you trying to step into the field of mathematics? And you're even headed straight at Dale's Conjecture?

There was a collective silence in the Chinese mathematics world: ".........."

After understanding from their translators, those foreigner mathematicians also looked dumbfoundedly over at the Chinese youth holding the marker, standing in front of a whiteboard. They could not understand why all of the Chinese people had such silly bravados. First, it was the children, now, it was followed by an adult?

The park visitors observing were already in a chatter of discussion.

"Does Teacher Zhang know Mathematics?"

"What can he possibly know!?"

"Didn't someone just say that Teacher Zhang used a calculator just to do a five-figure multiplication problem? How would he know anything then!"

"There's nothing to critique about Teacher Zhang's literary talents. He has to be the top in that field within the entire country. Everyone would be convinced by that argument, but Math.....F**k! I don't even know what to say anymore! This has to be the most courageous display of guts ever!"

Everyone was too shocked by this silly bravery of Zhang Ye to notice what he was writing on the whiteboard. They were all constrained by their bias and had already pre-judged that he wasn't the real deal. How could a celebrity solve a mathematical conjecture? Wouldn't it be an international joke if he did?!

Louis had a look of contempt on his face.

The American mathematician, David, also laughed mockingly, "If Dale's Conjecture could be so easily proven, then Dale's Conjecture wouldn't be known as Dale's Conjecture in the first place!"

Although he spoke in English and Zhang Ye's standard of English wasn't too good, at the very least, he had a passable level of understanding since he was a proper graduate after all.

Huang Lingling could feel the gaze of everyone on them and was already struggling with the attention now. She wasn't afraid that she would be a disgrace, but that her idol, Teacher Zhang would lose face because of her. Because of this, she said to him, "Teacher Zhang, why don't we, why don't we forget this? This conjecture must be really difficult, so let's....."

Zhang Ye paused his writing momentarily and smiled at her. Then he said in a kindly to her, "Remember my words about not caring about those who doubt you. When you become successful, they will become the clowns. All you need to do is to do your best and that will be enough. How else do you think Big Bro managed to survive in the entertainment circle until now? If I were to react to everything that they pick on about me, then would I still have time to do my work?"

Huang Lingling affirmatively nodded, "I'll remember that for sure."

"Do you understand what this is?" Zhang Ye pointed at his writings on the whiteboard.

Huang Lingling looked hard at them and shook her head in confusion, "I understood a bit of those calculations but....."

At least she could understand some of the calculations, but Huang Leilei and the other children standing beside couldn’t understand any of it.

Zhang Ye did not care about anyone else except for these children right now. He raised the marker once more and continued to write on, then smiled and said, "It's alright if you don't understand it now, all of you are talented enough and will be able to understand it in the future." After saying that, he occasionally pointed out to some of the writings to guide them along, "Do you understand what this conjecture is about?"

Dale's Conjecture was also Fermat's Last Theorem from Zhang Ye's previous world.

It stated that no three positive integers a, b, and c can satisfy the equation a^n + b^n = c^n for any integer value of n greater than 2.

Huang Lingling, Huang Leilei, and the other children nodded lightly, "We understand that. We've heard that many of the great mathematicians from other countries have proven it for many iterations of N; like when N=3 or N=4, all of which were validated."

But Zhang Ye said as he laughed, "Then remember what I say now. These mathematicians who have contributed that much to Dale's Conjecture are not really that great, nor are their contributions."

Huang Lingling could only react with an "Ah?"

Her brother was also sweating by now, "What?"

Xin Ya, "..........($#!"

When the mathematicians and participants around them heard Zhang Ye's snide comments, all of them became so angry that they had to clench their teeth in order to control their temper!

After hearing the translators' explanation of what he said, Louis said coldly, "What are you saying?" As a few of the N=? proofs were researched and completed by the American mathematicians over a long period of time with a huge amount of resources and effort poured in. He was angered by the fact that a young Chinese person had simply brushed it off as a small contributions.

All of the mathematicians were unable to accept what Zhang Ye had stated!

Han Henian shouted, "You're just a Chinese teacher, what would you know!"

Xin Ya sighed and said, "I have to remind you, Teacher Zhang. Let's not blabber nonsense around here, alright?"

These words of his were really too offensive as every top talent of the global mathematics world had been trying hard to advance the studies of Dale's Conjecture, but a simple brush off from Zhang Ye totally rendered their studies as fruitless!?

Zhang Ye continued not to be bothered by anyone and just guided the children along on his whiteboard, "The solution to most mathematical conjectures usually start off with weakening the conjecture. If you can weaken the conjecture and prove it, then you can advance a little closer towards the original conjecture. This is the process of solving most conjectures, but what many of these mathematicians do not know is that this method does not suit the solving of Dale's Conjecture. Whether it's N=2, N=3, N=<10, N=<100 or N=<1000, this method of proving would look like it is advancing the study closer to the solution, but in fact, none of them have much meaning at all. Even if they could advance this weakening method a long way ahead, with it, they still wouldn't be able to prove Dale's Conjecture. These people have all been walking down the wrong path the entire time!"

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