A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 116 Pavlov
The mathematics seminar that day was still going on, but now it became a special lecture by Li Yu to a greater extent, because now besides the mathematics department, many students from other majors poured in.

Of course, Markov and Lyapunov could not stop them. According to the philosophy of the university at that time, it was normal to learn more things, and there were no such strict professional barriers.

At noon, Li Yu was about to go back to take a rest, but was stopped by Zhang Deyi again.

"Are you still talking?" Zhang Deyi asked.

Li Yudao: "There are many more students from the Department of Biology and Geology today. There is no way, they are so enthusiastic, and some even hold manuscripts."

"You are really welcome." Zhang Deyi praised.

Li Yu asked: "Hey, I haven't seen you for two days. Have you paid homage to the statue of Our Lady of Kazan?"

"Of course I went. I first found the embassy in Russia, and it turned out that even the prayer gestures were different. Anyway, I also said 'Amen' and kowtowed in front of the statue of Our Lady of Kazan, praying that I can sign this time smoothly. The British people must not trip me up when I write the "Regulations on Guaranteeing Workers," Zhang Deyi said.

Li Yu said with a smile: "The British believe in Protestantism, and you use the Chinese-style kowtow in the Orthodox church. I don't think the Holy Mother may understand what's going on."

Zhang Deyi also said with a smile: "I don't care what happens, we'll talk about it later. If it doesn't work, I'll go to their church to worship when I go to England. By the way, Hu Weide, Minister to Russia, is hosting a banquet in the embassy today, and I want to invite you to come."

There was no need for Li Yu to refuse, so he said, "It's really rare that a Russian ambassador and a British ambassador get together."

Although Hu Weide and Zhang Deyi are both ambassadors in name, Zhang Deyi's qualifications are higher than him, with a second-rank official title, and Hu Weide is a third-rank official.

So when Zhang Deyi and Li Yu came together, Hu Weide respectfully called out: "Master Zhang."

Zhang Deyi cupped his hands and said, "Master Hu. Let me introduce you to an excellent Western scholar, Li Yu. He gave lectures at St. Petersburg Royal University these two days. I went to see it. It was overcrowded."

Hu Weide said: "I have heard about Mr. Li's great deeds for a long time. When I saw him today, he is really a young hero."

Li Yu also said politely: "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Sit between the two, and I specially arranged for the cook to cook home-cooked dishes."

Hu Weide is a native of Zhejiang, and later served as the deputy minister of foreign affairs in the cabinet of Tang Shaoyi in the Republic of China, and then became the chief minister of foreign affairs in the Beiyang government.

The lunch prepared by Hu Weide was very rich. West Lake Vinegar Fish, Dongpo Meat, Longjing Shrimp, Steamed Pork with Lotus Leaf Powder, and Beggar Chicken are all famous Zhejiang dishes.

After two days of eating Russian daliba, pickles, and kvass drinks that are hard to describe, Li Yu saw these things very kindly.

Hu Weide said: "I heard that what you are talking about in the university hall is mathematics?"

Li Yu replied, "Exactly."

Zhang Deyi explained: "This time Li Yu was actually invited to Sweden, and the Swedish king personally awarded the mathematics medal."

Hu Weide gave a thumbs up: "It's really amazing! Sir, I'm really No. 1 in the calculation of calculations! It's a coincidence that Mr. Hu won the election back then because of his calculations."

Zhang Deyi thought for a while and said: "If I remember correctly, in the 13th year of Guangxu (1887), the imperial court aimed to add a subject of mathematics to the imperial examination. In the second year, Mr. Hu won the examination of mathematics."

"You remember correctly, Mr. Zhang," Hu Weide said, "Actually, we have the same background. The Shanghai Cantonese Dialect Center I graduated from is the same as the Jingshi Tongwen School. But I majored in mathematics and French at the same time. As for I only learned Russian a few years ago."

The Shanghai Cantonese Dialect School was established in the second year after the establishment of the Jingshi Tongwen School. It was the first foreign language college established in Shanghai. Like the Tongwen School, it also added mathematics, astronomy and other subjects later.

Zhang Deyi said with a smile: "Master Hu has learned much more solidly than me. After all, he can still pass the math exam. I have only learned one subject of English over the years."

Hu Weide said: "At the time, I thought that after passing the mathematics examination, I could only enter the mathematics school of the Guozijian, and then enter the Qintianjian. I didn't expect to be able to become a minister in Russia. I think it is because there are very few people who understand Western learning and foreign languages ​​in the court. So. But since I went to several countries, I also understand that the level of mathematics in our school is too far behind. As for my level of mathematics, it is even worse, and it cannot be compared with Mr. Li Yu, who is famous all over the world. .”

Li Yu said: "Master Hu, you are being polite. Now you are also working hard on diplomacy."

The School of Mathematical Sciences was established earlier in the Qing Dynasty, and it was merged into the Guozijian in the Qianlong period, with a quota of 60 people.Although the number has expanded several times, it still only belongs to the niche category.

There are still 250 people in the Guozijian studying Confucian classics every day.

Computing students are far behind them, and they cannot compare with the huge group of scholars in the whole society who are studying the Four Books and Five Classics and aspiring to be admitted.In short, there were very few people who learned algorithms in the Qing Dynasty.

Moreover, from the perspective of the future of the students, although the Qing Dynasty gave the students the right to take examinations and participate in scientific examinations, the establishment of the School of Mathematical Sciences was mainly to serve the Qin Tianjian, and the students were trained as the reserve personnel of the Qin Tianjian. Yes, it's hard to do anything big.

Hu Weide was able to stand out, on the one hand, because his personal ability was really outstanding at that time, and on the other hand, he caught up with the reform of the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty. People had infinite fear and infinite longing for the West, which belonged to riding the wave of the times.

Hu Weide pointed to a copy of "Fractal and Chaos", "Master Zhang brought it to me from St. Petersburg University. I'm ashamed. As a math student, I can't understand it at all."

Li Yudao: "There is a specialization in the field of mathematics. If you want to truly understand mathematics, you must at least study it for many years like studying history."

When Hu Weide studied mathematics, at most he learned mathematics at the level of the first or second year of junior high school, and it was basically about the application of mathematics.

Hu Weide poured a glass of Nurhong: "Toasting Mr. with wine from his hometown can make him famous among foreigners, and it is their scientific way, which really makes me admire."

Li Yu raised his wine glass: "Science is not just for foreigners, sooner or later we will catch up."

Hu Weide said: "I hope, the current situation... By the way, do you want to meet the Tsar?"

Li Yu shook his head: "Forget it, unless he orders me to enter the Winter Palace, don't take the initiative to meet me."

Hu Weide said: "Why? Tsar Nicholas II is the only emperor who has been to the East after all, and he is quite friendly to us."

"It's all an illusion," Li Yu understood very well in his heart, "In the eyes of the tsar, we yellow-skinned people are the source of the 'yellow peril theory'."

Hu Weide was stunned. Although he didn't have many opportunities to meet Nicholas II himself in the diplomatic arena, he actually felt it in his heart a long time ago, so he could only say: "But the Tsar still respects scientific research scholars."

Li Yu said with a smile: "I still feel more free at Petersburg University, they also respect me, and I feel more comfortable with them."

Hu Weide said: "Sir, you are open-minded!"

I don’t know if I learned it from Yu Geng. These ambassadors who go abroad often bring a cook. Li Yu’s meal at the Russian legation is quite delicious.

Thanks to Hu Weide's background in mathematics, even though he didn't know much about it, he still chatted more speculatively.

After several glasses of wine, Hu Weide wanted to listen to Li Yu's lecture, but then he thought that he couldn't even understand his books, so he had to give up.

Back at St. Petersburg University, Li Yu went to the auditorium to continue the afternoon mathematics seminar with Markov and Lyapunov.It lasted an hour and a half, with an intermission as usual.

Li Yu suddenly saw several students walking over with an old scholar with a white beard.

The student said: "Professor Pavlov, we have listened to the lecture of Chinese Li Yu here this morning. His theory on fractal and chaos is very interesting."

Well, this boss also showed up.

Pavlov said: "I also read his article on the expansion of the law of entropy increase before, and it really involved biology. Before that, I really didn't think that the laws of thermodynamics could be related to our biology."

The student said: "Not only that, listening to his lectures in the morning, it seems that chaos theory has also filled every discipline. I don't know if it is also applied in our biology."

Another student saw Li Yu and said to Pavlov, "Professor, that's him."

Pavlov is in his 50s and fit.He just established the conditioned reflex theory last year, and now he is well-known outside the world. The next year, that is, in 1904, he will become the first Russian scientist to win the Nobel Prize.

Li Yu stepped forward and said hello, "Professor Pavlov, hello!"

Pavlov also studied in Germany, so Li Yu could also communicate with him in German.

Anyway, proficiency in multiple languages ​​at this time is an important indicator of education level. Even Tsar Nicholas II can speak fluent French, English and German in addition to his native Russian.

That's why Li Yu spared no effort to learn foreign languages, otherwise people in this era would really think that your education is lacking.

Pavlov shook hands with him: "Li Yu, right, you are indeed young. My students have often mentioned you these two days, and you can talk about mathematics to the students of the biology department. You are really our royal family in St. Petersburg. First in college."

Li Yu laughed and said, "Maybe it's because what I wrote is simple and easy to understand."

"It is a skill to be able to explain difficult things easily. You are very talented in lecturing, but my students often complain about me." Pavlov said.

The students behind quickly said: "Professor Pavlov, we are not complaining!"

Pavlov said with a smile: "How do I know? Besides, you can see how excited you are after listening to his lecture today. Your expressions can't hide it from me."

The student quickly explained: "Professor, it's all because what Li Yu said is very novel."

Pavlov ignored the students, and continued to say to Li Yu: "It can be seen that you have divergent thinking. My students said that your fractal and chaos theory can be used in biology. I am very curious, so I want to learn more about it." .”

Sure enough, he is a boss, and he asks sharp questions when he comes up.

But fractals and chaos have been integrated into every corner. Li Yu said: "Fractals and chaos are everywhere. Professor, you should be familiar with animal anatomy. In fact, fractals are hidden in anatomy. Bronchial tubes and blood vessels are all bifurcated. There are fine structures again, all of which belong to fractal structures.”

Pavlov raised his eyes and said, "It's true when you say that, why didn't I think about it."

Li Yu continued: "As for chaos, it is more common. Professor you study neurology, there is chaos. The brains of us, including all animals, are nonlinear networks composed of nerve cells. 'Non-linear', chaos tends to emerge."

After listening carefully, Pavlov praised: "It makes sense, very well said!"

Li Yu continued: "Even the beating of the heart itself is a kind of chaos theory. If you think about it, why can so many cells vibrate in unison? , The development and spread of various epidemics will have the shadow of chaos.”

The vitality of chaos theory is extremely tenacious. Even in the era when Li Yu lived, the research enthusiasm of scholars in various sciences is still very high.

Li Yu's book is just the beginning, and it is impossible for him to cover all aspects of chaos theory at once.

Pavlov put his hand under his nose, thought for a while and said, "Professor Mendeleev told me this morning that communicating with you can increase the breadth of thinking. This 'chaos' that I have been ignoring before! It seems that I also need to read your "Fractal and Chaos"."

Li Yu directly handed him the one he had been using for the past few days: "Give it to the professor."

Pavlov took out a pen from his pocket: "Use my pen."

"Your pen?" Li Yu didn't know why.

Pavlov said with a smile: "Why, I see that you have already signed them, so why can't you sign one for me?"

"Of course." Li Yu also said with a smile, "Actually, I wanted to ask you for a signature."

"I've heard for a long time that you Chinese like to reciprocate gifts. There is no problem. I will ask the students to send you a signed book later."

Pavlov looked at the "Fractal and Chaos" in his hand, and said with emotion: "Interesting, when I first entered St. Petersburg University, I also studied in the Department of Physics and Mathematics for a year. It is really nostalgic to see mathematics books now. Do you mind if I go into the auditorium and listen?"

Li Yu said: "Of course, please correct the professor a lot!"

Li Yu's visit to St. Petersburg University was also quite fruitful. After all, Lyapunov is a professor of mathematics. Li Yu specifically asked him to solve a mathematical problem that he was good at, a method for identifying certain numerical values ​​of chaotic motion.

After getting the "task", Lyapunov was very attentive. These days, day and night, he used all his spare time to calculate, and finally finished it before Li Yu left on the fourth day.

Li Yu looked at the more than ten pages of manuscript in his hand and was very grateful: "Thank you, Professor, for your hard work."

Lyapunov said: "You helped me give lectures for a few days, which should be done."

"Professor, don't worry, I will definitely include your results in the second edition of "Fractals and Chaos". I will name it after you and call it the Lyapunov index." Li Yu said.

Lyapunov said happily: "It is my honor to be able to leave a name in such an excellent theory!"

This is the well-known Lyapunov index in later generations, a judgment method that cannot be avoided in chaos theory, and is specially used to judge the chaos of a system. It is even possible to visually see whether a system is a chaotic system through images.

(End of this chapter)