Follow your heart, top fundamental scientists encouraged students

How can young students at the start of their academic career make quick progress? "Just follow your heart," 2018 Fields Medal winner Caucher Birkar from Iran told them. He emphasized the importance of finding what really inspires them, noting that guidance and advice from mentors are equally critical.

Birkar was speaking at the Physics & Mathematics Top Talks, part of the 2024 session of the International Congress of Basic Science, on Sunday. Hosted by Tsinghua University, the forum invited nine leading international scholars on mathematics and physics, including Edward Witten, the first recipient of the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics; Cumrun Vafa, winner of the Dirac Medal; Fields Medal winners such as Shing-Tung Yau and Birkar; Hirosi Ooguri, an academician from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Wolf Prize winner Richard Schoen and International Mathematical Union president Hiraku Nakajima.

During the session in mathematics, chaired by Nakajima, Yau spoke of the key role of geometry in solving physics problems through stories from his career. He also shared how he gained important academic intuitions from fundamental physics, which facilitated numerous interesting studies when integrated with mathematics.

In the physics session, the talks revolved around future research directions in theoretical physics. Ooguri emphasized the crucial exploration of new mathematical tools, advocating for the clever integration of various techniques of mathematical analysis with physics to promote interdisciplinary research. Vafa said that in-depth studies on quantum gravity laws and dark matter would significantly impact the future of physics, while Kapustin looked forward to the development of hydrogen atom physics and elementary particle physics, paying particular attention to the rapid advancement of quantum information science and quantum computing in recent years.

Witten, the only physicist who has won the Fields Medal in mathematics, identified the relationship between gravity and quantum mechanics as a topic worthy of deep exploration. He noted a lack of sufficient understanding within the academic community regarding string theories with strong time dependence, highlighting an urgent need for more research in the future.

While answering questions from students, Schoen suggested that undergraduates balance their knowledge, refining their mathematical skills while also gaining knowledge in other disciplines such as physics, chemistry, and biology in their spare time.

With its first session held in July 2023, the ICBS, co-hosted by the Yau Mathematical Sciences Center, Tsinghua University, is a top-level event in the field of basic science, focusing on academic discussions and exchanges in mathematics, theoretical physics, and theoretical computer and information sciences, with over 800 leading experts and scholars from around the world participating every year.

kerongyi@chinadaily.com.cn