ebonymovies Chapter 43: Raising the Butcher's Knife
Chapter 43: Raising the Butcher's Knife
At this moment, Su Hao was in such a good mood that he felt like he could fly!
"Wow, the quality of this question is absolutely top-notch! The person who created it is a master!"
The moment he finished reading the first question, his heart began to beat faster uncontrollably, as if it had been resonated with something.
This isn't nervousness, but rather the excitement of a hunter seeing a stunning prey!
On the surface, this problem is disguised by an extremely complex layer of number theory, which is like cryptography.
But as long as your gaze can penetrate that complicated surface and go straight to the core, you will find that it contains an elegant and strict regular arrangement like star trails!
He picked up his pen and, without any pause, began to pour out calculations on the answer sheet.
This is not about solving a problem; it's about reconstructing complex algebraic structures and uncovering hidden patterns within them.
Su Hao's thinking did not linger on the problem statement; he directly elevated the ordinary formula to a broader and more expansive extended number field.
There, he offered a completely new interpretation of the conditions given in the problem.
Then, a miracle happened.
Those seemingly random and intricately intertwined relationships on the surface of the problem instantly reveal an astonishingly clear and magnificent structure under the illumination of the number field!
"That's amazing, absolutely amazing!"
As Su Hao wrote, he couldn't help but feel joy and admiration in his heart.
This is the ultimate romance of mathematics:
In the midst of utter chaos, find the one and only perfect order!
He thoroughly enjoyed the moment when he personally dispelled the fog and glimpsed the truth.
Having solved the first question, Su Hao happily turned to the second question.
Combinatorial geometry.
Specifically, this is a problem that explores the topological relationships between countless points and lines on a plane.
Every time Su Hao saw this kind of question on the exam paper, he had a strong, almost "soul-resonance" feeling.
He seemed to be able to transcend the paper and clearly understand the mind of the person who set the question.
Without a doubt, the person who came up with this problem is someone who truly regards mathematics as a religion.
How should points that satisfy given conditions be arranged, and what breathtaking perfect symmetry is formed by the interweaving of these points?
Although the clues given in the question were pitifully few, it was as if you were only given a single hair and asked to draw the criminal's appearance.
But for Su Hao, this was not torture at all, but rather a puzzle game full of endless fun.
Deep within his mind, a storm was brewing at that moment.
Countless geometric shapes in this sand table are constantly changing shape, twisting and changing size...
They intertwine and collide wildly with the isolated points and cold lines given in the question, sparks flying everywhere.
A few seconds later, with a crisp "click" like a lock, he accurately selected the few candidates that met the criteria from countless possibilities.
"Wait... this structure... could it be projective geometry?"
Su Hao's vision suddenly opened up, and the messy dots and lines on the paper began to recombine, gradually twisting and merging, eventually transforming into an extremely beautiful conic curve.
This is one of the most astonishing properties discovered by the great mathematicians of the 19th century in the depths of geometry.
However, Su Hao, who was originally immersed in the pleasure of solving the problem smoothly, quickly looked gloomy and even revealed a slight, almost imperceptible sense of disappointment.
"The mathematicians of two hundred years ago... had already thoroughly explored such profound concepts..."
Su Hao let out a long sigh.
Throughout his long years of study, he has paid homage to the pioneers who have been sleeping in the long river of history countless times while systematically learning mathematics and the history of mathematics.
For thousands of years, the brilliant achievements of mathematicians, shining like stars in the sky, have often left him breathless with amazement.
But while marveling at the solution, every time he solved a brilliant puzzle, a burning desire would surge within him.
He didn't want to be just an imitator who climbed in the footsteps of his predecessors!
He also wanted to be a part of that magnificent history!
Someday...
Su Hao stared at the exam paper, his gaze gradually sharpening. He silently made an unshakeable vow to himself:
"From now on, I will deduce and discover things that no one in this world knows!"
I want my name to become a theorem on the exam papers of future generations!
……
"Damn it..."
"What the hell is this thing?"
"My God, this is impossible!"
Time ticked by, and the once quiet examination hall began to be filled with oppressive, torture-like groans and sighs.
Those geniuses who are usually high and mighty are now pulling their hair, their faces contorted as they stare at the exam paper, questioning their very existence!
Meanwhile, Marcelo, the exam setter standing above the podium, took in the entire scene of utter despair in the exam hall.
The white-haired old man showed no sympathy whatsoever; instead, he revealed a satisfied expression, like that of a villain, and nodded heavily.
"That's right, this is what a real math Olympiad exam should be like!"
Marcelo is a tenured professor in the Department of Pure Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, UK.
Having dedicated most of his youth, a full thirty years, to the study of high-dimensional geometry and algebraic topology, he holds an indisputable leading position in academia.
Starting this year, he officially took over the reins of the IMO (International Mathematical Olympiad) problem-setting committee, and the first thing he did was to raise the butcher's knife!
For a long time, he has felt deeply pained and worried about the subtle changes that have taken place in the IMO over the past decade or so.
"Too easy. It's like playing house!"
Starting in 2010, Marcelo keenly noticed an extremely absurd phenomenon:
The number of perfect scorers in the IMO competition began to surge like an inflationary phenomenon.
It's important to understand that in the past, in an era brimming with talent, it was rare to find a genius who could perfectly answer every question on an exam paper, perhaps only once every ten years.
Now? Almost every year a few perfect scores appear, and they're as worthless as cabbages.
What he felt most ashamed of was what happened two years ago.
Due to a serious and disastrous mistake by the former chairman in controlling the difficulty level, the number of people who got full marks in that year's session exceeded 10!
When Marcelo saw the statistic, he almost crushed his coffee cup.
In his view, if this trend continues, the reputation of the once unassailable sacred altar of the International Mathematical Olympiad will be questioned and tarnished by the secular world!
Of course, he does not deny that the overall improvement in global mathematics education levels with the popularization of the Internet has indeed played a part in this.
But in his view, this is by no means the only, or even the core, factor.
What truly disgusts him is the sheer number of businesses and organizations now operating under the guise of education.
They disassembled, categorized, and fed decades' worth of past exam questions into these students!
And what about today's students?
They no longer look up at the stars, nor do they cultivate that elusive yet crucial "mathematical intuition."
Compared to creative thinking that shines with the light of human wisdom, these children now rely more on mechanical skills that are so practiced they're nauseating!
Compared to the innate mathematical intuition that can see through illusions, they rely more on muscle memory and rote memorization developed through intensive training!