Chapter 70: Individual Destiny Under the Era Background

"... Once the hearing passes, this will be the first time in history that a Chinese-American holds a senior bureaucratic position in the White House..."

The news in the newspaper made Chen Jingrun feel a mix of emotions.

The 300 million USD interest-free loan that Cultural Huaguo obtained from Soviet Russia was crucial for Chen Jingrun to be able to study abroad in America smoothly.

It wasn't that his study abroad expenses had to come from that money; after all, whether it was the City University of New York or the scholarship Harvey Cohen gave him, it was enough for him to survive in New York, not to mention that with Chen Jingrun's mathematical attainments, applying for a Fulbright program was more than enough.

Rather, it was that the 300 million USD interest-free loan fully proved Lin Ran's value; Lin Ran possessed the ability to turn stones into gold.

Originally, the Cultural Huaguo side only hoped to train the team and be able to produce something at a level similar to the S-2 missile before it was castrated by Soviet Russia.

The Soviet Russian agreement said it would transfer the S-2, but in reality, it transferred the castrated P-2. Originally, the DF-1 was developed on the basis of the P-2, and there was no obvious difference from the S-2 in terms of range, speed, etc.

But because of the insufficient accuracy of the DF-1, it was not equipped, and it wasn't until the subsequent DF-2 that it was officially equipped.

As a result, with Lin Ran's help, the DF-1 already possessed strong combat capability, and its accuracy could even directly threaten the Shilin Official Residence on the other side of the sea, the place where the Bald One lived.

Not only could it effectively reduce coastal pressure, but it could also bring economic benefits.

With various factors superimposed, Cultural Huaguo naturally increased human investment in the entire project, not only putting the shell of a confidential project on importing Western academic journals and landing it in Yangcheng, but even the arrangement for Chen Jingrun himself became increasingly meticulous.

His identity in Xiangjiang had already been made seamless, and he had successfully applied for the opportunity to come to America.

Because Chen Jingrun himself had Lin Ran's recommendation letter, Harvey Cohen helped him solve the round-trip air ticket and visa. After the interview, the other party was very satisfied with this Chinese-American student Lin Ran had found for him.

The subsequent series of visa, enrollment, and settling down in New York issues were all handled by him single-handedly.

For being able to come to New York, come into contact with the latest number theory, and do mathematics with a large number of mathematicians, Chen Jingrun was very grateful to Lin Ran inwardly.

However, he still hadn't forgotten his mission: doing research was one aspect, but digging more things valuable to Cultural Huaguo from Professor Lin's hands was the most important task.

He couldn't peacefully accept living a good life by himself in New York while being unable to help his compatriots back home.

Therefore, after seeing the newspaper, he couldn't understand why Professor Lin wanted to work for America.

Although the position written in the newspaper was Assistant, there was still the modifier Special in front of it, plus the American media's definition of Lin Ran's position was also Senior, defined as a senior bureaucrat.

As a simple Cultural Huaguo person, he felt confused about Lin Ran wanting to accept a senior position in America, and a senior position related to aerospace at that.

In this era, because aerospace is highly related to missile technology, it also means it is highly related to the military.

"This isn't just sitting on the sidelines either," Chen Jingrun pondered.

Fortunately, regarding this topic, the mathematicians present were all very curious. When Lin Ran walked into the conference room, what everyone chatted about first wasn't number theory, wasn't Lin Ran's ABC conjecture, wasn't Fermat's Diophantine conjecture, wasn't the linear form logarithm theory he proposed, but Lin Ran's new position.

Mathematicians are quite gossipy.

"Randolph, how come you went to work in the White House without a sound? Could it be that you want to teach mathematics in the White House?" Harvey Cohen joked, "The guys in the White House can't understand what you're saying."

Lin Ran answered with a smile: "First of all, my appointment hasn't come down yet, and besides, even if my appointment comes down, my working time at the Redstone Arsenal should be longer than at the White House."

Courant said: "Randolph, I still don't quite understand; what were you thinking to go to work in the White House? The White House isn't a good place to stay.

Compared to mathematicians, the political animals in Washington are still too complex."

Courant thought highly of Lin Ran and had always wanted to poach the other party from Columbia University to the Courant Institute at New York University where he was, even privately indicating to Lin Ran that if the other party was willing to come, he could change the name of the Courant Institute to the Randolph Institute.

(In reality, the Courant Institute was renamed in 1964; in 1961, it was still called the Graduate School of Applied Mathematics.)

Courant was already 72 years old and only a few years away from retirement. As a top big shot who once co-authored "What is Mathematics?" with Hilbert, he clearly hoped to find a suitable successor before he retired.

Among his students, no one was more suitable than Lin Ran.

To add one more sentence, Courant was also a German-American, but besides being German, he was also Jewish, leaving Germany earlier than the vast majority of Jewish people; the sense of smell of a mathematician is still sharp enough.

And precisely because of this, Courant didn't want the younger generation in the mathematics world he thought highly of to be involved in the political vortex.

Lin Ran explained: "I understand, Professor. I am going to do things, not to be a person.

Sir Isaac Newton still served at the Royal Mint in England, and I cannot be an exception. The universe has always been my yearning, and I hope to make a small contribution to humanity's march toward the universe.

Is there anything more interesting than space? Perhaps mathematics counts as one, but I am only in my twenties; I need to change my mood, and this won't affect my doing mathematical research."

The mathematicians present then realized that the other party was too young, and youth is capital.

"Randolph, you can indeed try it out."

"Unlike you guys, I think highly of Randolph. Aerospace is the same as mathematics; if it works, it works; if it doesn't, it doesn't. I dare say that the guys at the Redstone Arsenal will definitely be like us, submitting to Randolph's ability."

"Who submitted? I only admire; it doesn't count as submitting yet," the mathematicians joked with each other.

Harvey Cohen finally summarized: "Me too, Randolph. If you come to our number theory seminar a few more times, I'll be convinced.

So Randolph, what do you plan to tell us today?"

Lin Ran walked to the prepared blackboard and wrote with a pen:

"Λ=b1logα1+b2logα2+⋯+bnlogαn"

"My thought is still to start from the linear form logarithm theory. I mentioned this theory in the paper proving Fermat's Diophantine conjecture, and I provided a proof for the theory I proposed myself.

I believe that after you knew I was coming, you also did some research on it and know that it can be used in Diophantine equations and transcendental number theory.

For example, the Catalan conjecture, that is, the integer solutions to ax−by=1 are very limited, can be solved using it.

Whether it is the basic concepts or the scope of application, I believe everyone has done their homework and has a certain understanding.

Therefore, I want to tell everyone about the motivation here." ===== CHAPTER 71 =====