Winds Stir from All Directions, A Historic Moment

The outcome of Jingda's small seminar was quickly reported by several major media outlets. Science and Technology Daily released over a dozen videos in rapid succession alongside an in-depth feature article. "...As is widely known, the Navier-Stokes problem is one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems in mathematics. Its significance extends far beyond pure mathematics, holding profound importance for how we understand and reshape our world. "If it is proven, it will mean that the surging of rivers, the turbulence of the atmosphere, the flow of blood through capillaries—all seemingly chaotic, disordered motions of fluids—are grounded upon a solid, deterministic mathematical foundation! "We can finally be certain that behind these labyrinthine phenomena lies a strict adherence to a concise and universal law! "Yet this problem has baffled the world for over a century. Countless brilliant scholars have pressed forward generation after generation, still unable to conquer it. Today, at long last, we see the dawn... "At Jingda, following a three-day seminar, Academician Zhang Ping of the Xia Academy of Sciences, Dean Chen Yue and Professor Li Nuo of Jingda, and others largely concurred that Huang Tian's argument proving the global regularity of the Navier-Stokes equations is sound. They have resolved to host a larger academic seminar, inviting experts from premier universities and research institutes worldwide to discuss it together... "Twenty days from now, we may bear witness to a historic and monumental moment!" Reports from multiple major media outlets sparked a massive sensation across the country. Even people who had never taken an interest in academic research could not help feeling a surge of excitement. "Who said earlier that nobody this century would solve the NS problem? Look at that—the century is barely a quarter in, and it's already proven!" "It's too early to jump to conclusions. Popping the champagne early never ends well." "Academician Zhang Ping is one of the top figures in partial differential equations in the country. If he thinks Huang Tian's proof is largely solid, then there shouldn't be any major flaws." "I wonder what Terence Tao has to say. If I recall, he's researched this field pretty deeply. Isn't he currently the person with the broadest reach across branches of mathematics? Number theory, dynamical systems, combinatorics, algebraic geometry, differential topology..." "He has the broadest reach? Wouldn't old man Drinfeld question that?" "Mr. Qiu of Shuimu just gave that a thumbs down!" "Gauss is dead; Huang Tian shall rise!" "I wonder how many mathematical titans are coming to Jingda for the next seminar?" "..." While the internet was ablaze with discussion, across the ocean in a clean office at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. "Jingda sent you an invitation. Would you like to attend?" a male assistant in his thirties asked. Edward Witten, who was intently studying a paper on his computer screen, replied without looking up, "Of course. Why wouldn't I? Are you worried about my health? Nonsense. My health has always been excellent. Even if I spend all night reading papers, I can still go out for a run the next morning!" The assistant's lips twitched. To his mind, Witten was a man in his seventies who simply refused to acknowledge his age. Even though he had become an emeritus professor in the School of Natural Sciences at the IAS in 2022, he had never truly retired, throwing himself entirely into scientific research instead. "Besides, you should have brought this paper to my attention earlier instead of letting me notice it only after receiving Jingda's invitation," Witten remarked. The assistant answered helplessly, "The author wasn't very well known... Moreover, the paper's field isn't that closely related to your own..." Witten's research encompassed string theory, quantum gravity, supersymmetric quantum field theory, and mathematical physics; it indeed bore little direct connection to partial differential equations. Remarkably, his undergraduate degree had been in history, and he had entered graduate school for economics. But after only half a year, unable to endure the simplicity and boredom of economics, he applied to Princeton to study applied mathematics. After a brief sojourn in applied math, he transferred to physics, subsequently completing master's and doctoral dissertations in theoretical physics. Later, he was awarded the Fields Medal, becoming the first physicist ever to win it. "No, no. It seems you didn't actually read the paper. While it investigates the Navier-Stokes equations, its argumentative framework—let's tentatively call it H-theory—introduces tools such as geometric analysis and topology into partial differential equations. Those are precisely what I am intimately familiar with..." Witten corrected him, "Even if this paper is ultimately proven wrong, the new theory it constructs alone makes the trip worthwhile. It is an extraordinary piece of work. And if the paper is correct, then I have even more reason to go!" He picked up the mug beside him and took a sip of water. "All right, don't stand there interrupting my train of thought. Go book my flight. Come to think of it, the last time I went to Jingcheng in Xia was in 2024 to attend the International Congress of Basic Science..." The assistant shrugged resignedly. "All right, all right. I'll book your ticket right away, then reply to Jingda confirming you will attend the seminar in person..." After the assistant left, Witten buried himself once more in the hundred-plus-page paper. Beyond Edward Witten, Jingda had extended invitations to many other leading scholars, including Terence Tao, Vladimir Drinfeld, Gerd Faltings, Peter Scholze, K. R. Sreenivasan... as well as Mr. Qiu of Shuimu. Essentially, every Fields Medalist still active on the front lines of scientific research worldwide, along with top fluid dynamicists and physicists, received an invitation. While winds of excitement swirled in the outside world, Huang Tian comfortably stayed at Jingda, immersing himself in books covering not only mathematics, but physics, chemistry, biology, and more, absorbing every facet of knowledge from Blue Star's civilization. In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed. Inside Jingda, the atmosphere was already buzzing with crowds. Outside the campus gates, an equally large throng gathered, a significant portion consisting of journalists from all over and various social media vloggers. Unlike the major state and mainstream media outlets, they hadn't been granted entry to the campus, leaving them no choice but to linger outside in hopes of catching a scoop or trending topic. "Hey everyone! I've made it to the gates of Jingda! I was hoping to sneak in and check out the excitement, but as expected, I got turned away..." A young man in his twenties was live-streaming with a selfie stick. "Still, it wasn't a total bust! Just now, I saw someone! Ahem, guess who? Tall, thin, receding hairline up front. "Haha, to be honest, I didn't recognize him at first either—someone shouted his name before I realized: Faltings! "I just looked him up—holy cow, the man is an absolute titan! Some people say he's the greatest living mathematician today... "And it's not just Faltings! Word is, several Fields Medalists have arrived, plus physicists studying astrophysics, fluid dynamics, turbulence, and so on. It feels like the Six Major Sects besieging Bright Peak—titans converging on Jingda from all corners of the earth!" Thanks to the science popularization campaigns across media in recent days, ordinary people had come to understand the immense prestige of the Fields Medal. To date, among people of Chinese descent, only Mr. Qiu and Terence Tao had ever won it, and not a single citizen of Xia held one. In other words, if Huang Tian's proof proved correct, he would unquestionably become Xia's first native-born Fields Medalist! For Xia's academic community, this was an unprecedented milestone! "Speaking of which, based on the online explainers, the Navier-Stokes equations are also intimately tied to physics," the young man said into his phone. "If it's truly proven, the Fields Medal is guaranteed. But could it win the Nobel Prize in Physics too? Any experts in the chat know about that...?" As he was streaming, an official car rolled smoothly through the campus gates. Edward Witten sat inside, his assistant seated to his left. "I hear Faltings, Scholze, and Tao have all arrived..." Witten remarked, gazing out the window at the campus scenery. "A pity Serre and Deligne are too advanced in years to travel easily. Otherwise, virtually every top mathematician on earth would be right here. Even the International Congress of Mathematicians might not assemble this many Fields Medalists..." Deligne, Serre, and Faltings were all preeminent mathematicians of the age. Regrettably, Deligne was over eighty, and Serre was nearing a hundred, making long-distance travel out of the question. "Still, even if Viscount Deligne couldn't make it, he must be following the situation closely," the assistant said. Deligne was referred to as Viscount because the King of Belgium had ennobled him as a viscount in recognition of his outstanding academic achievements. Witten chuckled. "Of course. Who wouldn't be watching? Even scholars outside mathematics and physics have their eyes on Jingda... We're here. Let's get out." The car came to a smooth halt in front of a building. As he stepped out with his assistant, he saw Li Nuo leading several people over to greet them. "Professor Witten, welcome to Jingda," Li Nuo said, offering his hand. Witten shook hands, exchanged pleasantries with a smile, and then asked, "Where is Huang? I can hardly wait to meet him!" Li Nuo gave a soft chuckle. "He's currently dining with Dean Chen and Professor Scholze... You've had a long journey, so please rest first at the campus hotel. It's located in Shaoyuan. Huang Tian, Professor Faltings, and the others are staying there as well, so you'll have ample opportunity to speak with them." "Very well, thank you," Witten nodded. "You are most welcome." Li Nuo signaled behind him, and someone immediately stepped forward to guide Witten toward the Shaoyuan Hotel. Once Witten and his assistant had walked out of earshot, one of the faculty members behind Li Nuo sighed wistfully. "This has to be the first time Jingda has gathered so many Fields Medalists. What a pity, what a pity..." Li Nuo understood what he found regrettable. Not one of these Fields Medalists had come for Jingda; every single one had come solely for Huang Tian. Another teacher sighed. "Our Jingda School of Mathematics still has a long way to go." As the long-standing leader in domestic mathematics, Jingda's School of Mathematics enjoyed high renown within Xia, but on the world stage, it lagged significantly, having yet to produce a master mathematician of global stature. Li Nuo said slowly, "It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to cultivate people. Take it step by step." Even so, a different thought burned in his mind: *No matter the outcome of this seminar, we must do everything we can to keep Huang Tian at Jingda!* As far as he knew, Huang Tian had not accepted any faculty appointment at Changda and remained a free agent. Jingda could certainly offer him a post—though whether it succeeded naturally depended on his own wishes. *In any case, we must make every effort...* In a flash, another two days slipped by, and the grand seminar arrived as scheduled. The venue was set in the grand auditorium of Jingda's Centenary Memorial Hall. It had been chosen because the sheer number of attendees was overwhelming. Hundreds of mathematics professors and fluid physics specialists from universities and institutes around the world were attending. Furthermore, Jingda's own students had signed up enthusiastically, and countless students from other universities in Jingcheng had applied as well, pushing the total headcount well past two to three thousand. After careful consideration, they settled on the auditorium of Centenary Hall. It seated over two thousand, and if the aisles were packed, it could accommodate three thousand. "This place is huge!" exclaimed a visiting student from another university as the surging crowd streamed into the Centenary Hall auditorium. Another student replied, "Of course it's huge. This hall is typically used for opening ceremonies, graduation galas, and major academic forums. They also host operas, dance performances, and movie screenings here. If it weren't this large, how could it seat so many people?" Checking their tickets, everyone found their respective seats and looked up toward the stage. Projected onto a massive backdrop were the words: [Proof of the Global Regularity of the Navier-Stokes Equations] [Speaker: Huang Tian] In front of the large screen stood two clean whiteboards. Amid low whispers, the invited scholars entered through a side passage, taking their seats in the front rows. "That's Drinfeld! A Fields Medal giant—his quantum group theory makes my head spin." "Terence Tao is here too! Haha, whenever he smiles he looks so endearingly goofy, why is he kind of cute..." "Sreenivasan! Dean of the Tandon School of Engineering, a titan in both math and physics, and a leading authority on turbulence!" "Holy crap, it's my idol, Witten!" "Faltings, the living god of my heart!" "And old Mr. Qiu! Haha, that reminds me of all those hilarious memes about him. The old man is really funny." "..." The students seated in the rear rows buzzed with excitement. Most were majoring in mathematics or physics, intimately familiar with these academic legends, and could hardly restrain their boiling enthusiasm. "Ahem—" At that moment, Chen Yue, Dean of the School of Mathematics, stepped onto the stage and cleared his throat twice. Only then did the hall gradually settle into silence. He delivered a brief opening address. It was concise; he clearly knew that neither the scholars nor the students in the audience had any interest in listening to lengthy formalities. "Now, please welcome the keynote speaker of this seminar, Mr. Huang Tian!" Thunderous applause erupted. The clapping of nearly three thousand people echoed through the auditorium, sending a surge of adrenaline through the crowd. Rhythmic footsteps sounded as Huang Tian walked out onto the stage. He offered a slight, courteous bow to the audience, prompting another burst of fervent applause. After a dozen seconds, the applause gradually subsided. Silence descended over the auditorium, every eye locked onto the young man on the stage. Clicking open his presentation slides with a calm smile, Huang Tian faced the audience and spoke with effortless composure: "The swirling vortex of a nebula, the shifting tides of atmospheres and ocean currents, the rush of blood through our veins—does the motion of all fluids obey an immutable law? Are they, in the end, governed by order, or fundamentally unpredictable...?"