Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 94：Asking Questions

Once Jiang Fan finished speaking, the previously lively atmosphere in the conference hall fell into an eerie silence.

All eyes were now fixated on him.

This...

This was one of the seven great mathematical problems of the millennium?

And the presenter was none other than Professor Holt, a man of immense renown in the academic world.

Was it really possible that the solution to this problem, which he had devoted decades of his life to, could simply be negated by this young man with nothing more than a simple substitution of equality?

To the assembled scholars, Professor Holt's work had seemed untouchable, his solution an untouchable peak in the field of mathematics.

And yet, this was shattered by a formula that even a child could understand!

It was as if two fighters were pitted against each other: one donned in iron armor, armed with a rocket launcher and an AK47, grenades strapped to his waist—an arsenal befitting a warrior. The other, however, wore nothing but oversized shorts and a tank top, armed only with a wooden stick.

And somehow, the well-equipped fighter fell, struck down by a single blow.

The room was in shock. No one could quite grasp the reality of the situation.

But as they reflected on the young man's words, they began to realize that perhaps there was no flaw in his reasoning after all.

Indeed, it seemed so.

"Could it really be that Professor Holt's theory was undone by a simple substitution of equality?"

"From what we've seen, it appears that way."

"This is the result of Professor Holt's 20 years of research... what a waste."

"No, no! It's not as you think! I recall Professor Holt's explanation—this part exists independently. Although there was an error, it doesn't affect the overall solution..."

An elderly scholar spoke, and his words seemed to enlighten those around him. It seemed the integrity of Professor Holt's answer remained intact.

Meanwhile, on stage, Professor Holt, having immersed himself in the problem for days, understood well that his mistake wouldn't alter the overall solution.

With a calm smile, he spoke, "Such attention to detail from this young man... a bright future indeed!"

As his words echoed, many in the audience were perplexed. This young man had completely dismantled Holt's answer, yet the professor seemed to be offering him praise?

Before long, they began to understand.

Professor Holt continued, "I admit, the issue raised was indeed an oversight on my part. I failed to consider everything fully. However, this issue exists as an isolated part in my overall solution, and it does not impact the final answer..."

"Nonetheless, I must thank this young man for his attentiveness. Let us all applaud his meticulousness."

Professor Holt, ever the master of the situation, began clapping first. His meaning was clear—he had given the young man enough face. It was time for him to step down and allow Holt to continue his explanation.

But Jiang Fan was not one to play along.

As the applause died down, he remained standing on the stage, unwavering.

Professor Holt, now confused, asked, "Young man, is there something else you wish to discuss?"

Jiang Fan, unflinching, replied coolly, "I said I had a few questions to ask. What I asked just now was only one of them."

A pang of unease gripped Professor Holt. He quickly scanned his memory, trying to recall whether there were any other issues in his explanation that could have been questioned.

Although he had no knowledge of Jiang Fan's background, he sensed that the young man was no ordinary individual. His instinct told him it would be best to deal with him quickly.

With a patronizing smile, Professor Holt said, "How about this? If you have more questions, we can discuss them privately. After all, this is the World Mathematics Summit, and the scholars here have valuable time to attend to."

Professor Holt spoke with great sincerity, the kind of humility that caused many in the audience to feel a sense of respect for him.

Before Jiang Fan could respond, Holt continued, "Let us give this young man a round of applause as he steps down."

"What's the matter? Are you afraid?" Jiang Fan's voice cut through the air, challenging the professor.

The applause that had just begun to rise froze mid-motion. Many scholars shot Jiang Fan looks of disdain.

"This kid is too arrogant!"

"All he did was point out a small mistake by Professor Holt. Does he really think he's made some great intellectual leap?"

"Such arrogance! Thank goodness for Professor Holt's generosity—if it were me, I would have kicked him off the stage by now!"

"Professor Holt, let him ask, and teach this young man a lesson—let him understand the depth of our Western academia!"

Professor Holt, feeling a surge of pride in his unshakable confidence, knew his explanation had no flaws.

If he refused to let the young man ask more questions, some in the audience would look down on him.

"Alright, young man, I'll grant you the opportunity for one more question, to respect everyone's time," Professor Holt said, his tone carefully calibrated. If Jiang Fan pushed any further, the audience would surely agree with his expulsion.

Jiang Fan immediately asked, "Does the complexity of O(2n^2) affect the entire program's time growth?"

Taken aback by the complexity of the question, Professor Holt paused to review his notes. After a brief moment, he answered confidently, "No."

Jiang Fan, not stopping there, followed up with another complex inquiry, "Would the efficiency of a program with O(0.01n^3) be lower than one with O(100n^2)?"

"Well... No, I mean, yes, it's lower!"

"Wouldn't the complexity of O(n^3) far exceed O(n^2)? But doesn't the time grow with the data size?"

"..."

Jiang Fan's relentless questioning left Professor Holt scrambling through his notes, beads of sweat forming on his brow. The questions were so deeply entwined with the solution's steps that only someone with firsthand knowledge could answer them.

Some scholars in the audience, irked by Jiang Fan's relentless pace, voiced their frustration.

"Wasn't it agreed upon that he'd ask only one question?"

"Professor Holt is 76 years old. At this speed, I'd be hard-pressed to answer!"

Others quickly joined in.

"Yeah, this young man is clearly just causing trouble!"

"Security, get him out of here!"

Jiang Fan turned to the crowd, unfazed.

"The questions I've asked are directly from Professor Holt's notes. And he's answered less than 30% of them correctly!"

His statement sent ripples of displeasure through the audience.

"You can't just claim something is right because you say it is! Who do you think you are?"

Jiang Fan calmly met the gaze of the Western scholar who had spoken.

"I am the one who solved this world-renowned problem—the one who wrote it!"