转自：中国科学报 蔡天新现任浙江大学求是特聘教授、数学学院博士生导师。作为数论学者，他的"数论三部曲"收官之作 《加乘数论》中、英文版今年由科学出版社与World Scientific出版，创造性地将数论的"加法"和"乘 法"相结合，为一系列古老而著名的数论问题注入了新的生命力。 蔡天新的履历非常亮眼：15岁考入山东大学，24岁获博士学位，31岁晋升教授。在学术身份之外，他还 身兼多重角色——诗人、作家、译者、旅行者、摄影师，出版各类著作40多部，被译成20多种语言，其 中英文版9部，并在全球做过700多场公众科学和人文讲座。 近日，《中国科学报》专访了这位跨界学者。在对话中，他最忧心的是一个看似与学术无关的问题—— 现在有些年轻人，患上了"无兴趣病"。 以下是相关专访内容。 上了大学，得了"无兴趣病" 《中国科学报》：你给中小学生做了大量讲座，为什么一位大学教授要花这么多时间给中学生讲课？ 蔡天新： 因为我看到了一个不愿意看到的现象。教书那么多年，我见过很多名校的学生。他们中学时都是最优秀 的，是高考的佼佼者，上大学以后，眼睛里没有了光，对学习不感兴趣了。我管这叫"无兴趣病"，这个 现象挺普遍的。 我给孩子 ...

Group 1 - The "Intelligent Science or Mathematics Award" was awarded to Richard S. Palais from Stanford University for his groundbreaking work in geometric analysis and differential geometry, which has practical applications in fields like computer graphics and cryptography [1] - The "Life Sciences or Medicine Award" was awarded to Scott Emmer from Cornell University and Wes Sundquist from the University of Utah for their significant discoveries related to receptor membrane protein transport and degradation mechanisms, which are crucial for understanding viral budding and infection processes [1] - The 2025 World Top Scientists Forum will open on October 24 in the Lingang New Area, featuring the award ceremony for the Top Science Association Awards [3] Group 2 - Wes Sundquist expressed excitement about his upcoming first visit to China, highlighting China's leadership in the scientific field and the potential for collaboration with local scientists [2]

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the recent appointment of Chinese mathematician Wang Hong, known for solving the Kakeya conjecture, as a permanent professor at the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (IHES) in France, marking a significant achievement in her career and the mathematics community [1][2][10]. Group 1: Appointment Details - Wang Hong will officially join IHES on September 1, 2025, and will also hold a position as a mathematics professor at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences [6]. - IHES currently has only seven permanent professors, with five being prominent mathematicians, including two Fields Medal winners [3][4]. Group 2: Academic Background - Wang Hong was born in 1991 in Guilin, Guangxi, and demonstrated exceptional academic ability from a young age, entering Peking University at 16 [15]. - She obtained her bachelor's degree in mathematics in 2011, followed by an engineering degree from École Polytechnique and a master's degree from Paris XI University in 2014, and completed her PhD at MIT in 2019 [16]. Group 3: Research Contributions - Wang Hong, along with UBC mathematics associate professor Joshua Zahl, solved the Kakeya conjecture, a long-standing problem in mathematics that has implications across various fields such as harmonic analysis and number theory [10][12]. - The Kakeya conjecture in three dimensions asserts that a set containing unit-length line segments in every direction must have Minkowski and Hausdorff dimensions equal to three [11]. Group 4: Community Reception - The announcement of Wang Hong's appointment was met with enthusiasm in the mathematics community, with notable figures expressing their support and anticipation for her contributions [7][9]. - Many believe her recent achievement could position her as a strong candidate for the Fields Medal [14].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the recent proof of the Kakeya conjecture in three-dimensional space by Chinese mathematician Wang Hong and Columbia University professor Joshua Zahl, which has generated significant interest and could position Wang as a strong candidate for the Fields Medal in 2026 [1][5][6]. Group 1: Kakeya Conjecture Overview - The Kakeya conjecture, proposed by Japanese mathematician Sōichi Kakeya in 1917, involves determining the minimum area that a needle can sweep when rotated in a confined space [8][9]. - The conjecture states that a Kakeya set in three-dimensional space must have both Minkowski and Hausdorff dimensions equal to three, indicating that these sets geometrically fill the space despite appearing sparse [10][11][12]. Group 2: Proof Details - Wang Hong and Joshua Zahl published a 127-page paper proving the three-dimensional Kakeya conjecture, employing complex strategies including non-concentration conditions and multi-scale analysis [3][20]. - Their proof involves defining a situation K(d) and demonstrating a relationship that allows for the induction of dimension parameters towards three [21][23]. - The authors utilized multi-scale analysis to study the organization of pipe-like structures, leading to insights about the density and overlap of these structures [24][25][28]. Group 3: Background on Wang Hong - Wang Hong, born in 1991, is a notable mathematician who could become the first Chinese woman to win the Fields Medal if awarded [7][34]. - She has an impressive academic background, having studied at prestigious institutions and focusing on Fourier transform-related problems [36][38].