shiing-shen chern at nankai university

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Mathematical Tourist Dirk Huylebrouck, Editor Shiing-Shen Chern at Nankai University LINGLEI MENG Does your hometown have any mathematical tourist attractions such as statues, plaques, graves, the cafe´ where the famous conjecture was made, the desk where the famous initials are scratched, birthplaces, houses, or memorials? Have you encountered a mathematical sight on your travels? If so, we invite you to submit an essay to this column. Be sure to include a picture, a description of its mathematical significance, and either a map or directions so that others may follow in your tracks. â Submissions should be uploaded to http://tmin.edmgr.com or sent directly to Dirk Huylebrouck, [email protected] Dr. Shiing-Shen Chern returned to China in September 1999 to live permanently at Nankai University, his alma mater from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1930 at the age of 19. Although Nankai is now a key multidisciplinary and research-oriented university directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, it had only 300 students and a mathematics department with only one professor, Professor Li-Fu Jiang, in 1926. Professor Jiang, who had obtained a Ph.D. from Harvard University under the supervision of Professor Julian Coo- lidge, both provided a mathematical grounding and introduced a worldview of possibilities while Chern served as his assistant. Following Chern’s graduation from Nankai, he went to Beijing to pursue graduate studies at Tsinghua University from 1931 to 1934. His pivotal experience there involved listening to a lecture presented by Professor Wilhelm Blaschke in 1932, when Chern became excited by the world of mathematics outside of China. After receiving a Master of Science degree in 1934, Chern obtained funds to support study abroad and became a student of Blaschke at the University of Hamburg. The three years in Europe, first at Hamburg, from which he received a Doctor of Philosophy in 1936, and two years in Paris doing postdoc- toral research with Professor Elie Cartan, formed the basis for Chern’s future contributions. Dr. Chern returned to China in the summer of 1937, to an appointment as professor of mathematics at Tsinghua University. During the Sino-Japanese war (1937 to 1945), Nankai University, Peking University, and Tsinghua Uni- versity united in Kunming to form the renowned Southwest Associated University, where Chern taught differential geometry. In 1943, he was invited to work at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, where he worked on characteristic classes. After the war, recommended by the dean, Professor Li-Fu Jiang, who was in the United States during that time, Chern served as the executive dean of the Institute of Mathematics of Academia Sinica for about 2 years. In 1949, Chern brought his whole family to America, and he became a professor at the University of Chicago. He moved to the University of California, Berkeley, in 1960, and served as the founding director of MRSI from 1981 to 1984. Chern and the Chern Institute of Mathematics In 1972, when Chern visited Beijing again, 23 years had elapsed since he had left China. In 1977, he was met by the leader of China, Mr. Xiao-Ping Deng, and further meetings led to enormous support from the central government of China to establish a new mathematics research institute at Nankai University. The Nankai Institute of Mathematics was thus founded on October 17, 1985, with Chern serving as the founding director until 1992. With great endeavor and Ó 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York, Volume 36, Number 3, 2014 75 DOI 10.1007/s00283-014-9479-8

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Page 1: Shiing-Shen Chern at Nankai University

Mathematical Tourist Dirk Huylebrouck, Editor

Shiing-Shen Chern atNankai UniversityLINGLEI MENG

Does your hometown have any mathematical tourist

attractions such as statues, plaques, graves, the cafe

where the famous conjecture was made, the desk where

the famous initials are scratched, birthplaces, houses, or

memorials? Have you encountered a mathematical sight

on your travels? If so, we invite you to submit an essay to

this column. Be sure to include a picture, a description

of its mathematical significance, and either a map or

directions so that others may follow in your tracks.

� Submissions should be uploaded to http://tmin.edmgr.com

or sent directly to Dirk Huylebrouck,

[email protected]

Dr. Shiing-Shen Chern returned to China in September 1999to live permanently at Nankai University, his alma materfrom which he graduated with a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in 1930 at the age of 19. Although Nankai is now akey multidisciplinary and research-oriented universitydirectly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education,it had only 300 students and a mathematics departmentwith only one professor, Professor Li-Fu Jiang, in 1926.Professor Jiang, who had obtained a Ph.D. from HarvardUniversity under the supervision of Professor Julian Coo-lidge, both provided a mathematical grounding andintroduced a worldview of possibilities while Chern servedas his assistant. Following Chern’s graduation from Nankai,he went to Beijing to pursue graduate studies at TsinghuaUniversity from 1931 to 1934. His pivotal experience thereinvolved listening to a lecture presented by ProfessorWilhelm Blaschke in 1932, when Chern became excited bythe world of mathematics outside of China. After receivinga Master of Science degree in 1934, Chern obtained fundsto support study abroad and became a student of Blaschkeat the University of Hamburg. The three years in Europe,first at Hamburg, from which he received a Doctor ofPhilosophy in 1936, and two years in Paris doing postdoc-toral research with Professor Elie Cartan, formed the basisfor Chern’s future contributions.

Dr. Chern returned to China in the summer of 1937, toan appointment as professor of mathematics at TsinghuaUniversity. During the Sino-Japanese war (1937 to 1945),Nankai University, Peking University, and Tsinghua Uni-versity united in Kunming to form the renowned SouthwestAssociated University, where Chern taught differentialgeometry. In 1943, he was invited to work at the Institutefor Advanced Study at Princeton, where he worked oncharacteristic classes. After the war, recommended by thedean, Professor Li-Fu Jiang, who was in the United Statesduring that time, Chern served as the executive dean of theInstitute of Mathematics of Academia Sinica for about 2years. In 1949, Chern brought his whole family to America,and he became a professor at the University of Chicago. Hemoved to the University of California, Berkeley, in 1960,and served as the founding director of MRSI from 1981 to1984.

Chern and the Chern Institute of MathematicsIn 1972, when Chern visited Beijing again, 23 years hadelapsed since he had left China. In 1977, he was met by theleader of China, Mr. Xiao-Ping Deng, and further meetingsled to enormous support from the central government ofChina to establish a new mathematics research institute atNankai University. The Nankai Institute of Mathematics wasthus founded on October 17, 1985, with Chern serving asthe founding director until 1992. With great endeavor and

� 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York, Volume 36, Number 3, 2014 75

DOI 10.1007/s00283-014-9479-8

Page 2: Shiing-Shen Chern at Nankai University

persistence on the part of Chern, a new building wasconstructed with funds from the central government ofChina, and put in use in 2005. This ‘‘Shiing-Shen Building’’is named after Chern, and the Chinese characters thatidentify the building were written by Chern before hepassed away in Tianjin on December 3, 2004. In addition,Nankai Institute of Mathematics has been renamed asChern Institute of Mathematics dedicated to Dr. Shiing-Shen Chern for his great contributions.

The Shiing-Shen Building stands west of the south gateof the Nankai University campus, which is located about 6

km, or about 20 minutes by taxi, south of central Tianjinand its railway station. Facing the south gate is the statue ofEn-Lai Zhou (the first prime minister of the People’sRepublic of China and one of the earliest alumni of NankaiUniversity), and behind the statue stands the largest class-room building of the university. To the south of Shiing-Shen Building flows the Weijin River that traverses Tianjin.In the entrance hall of this building, there is a large, tradi-tional Chinese painting by Mr. Zeng Fan depicting Chernand Professor C. N. Yang engaged in conversation. Pro-fessor Yang, the 1957 Nobel Laureate in Physics, was a

The main building of Nankai University (Photo: Linglei Meng).

The Shiing-Shen Building (Photo: Linglei Meng).

76 THE MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCER

Page 3: Shiing-Shen Chern at Nankai University

good friend of Chern and they often talked over a variety ofcommon interests ranging from mathematics and physics,to the state of scientific research and world affairs. Mr. Fan,a great friend of both Chern and Yang, was able to capturethe strength of the friendship as well as the liveliness of theconversation in his painting. Toward the southeast of thisbuilding stands a statue of S. S. Chern, erected in 2009.

The Chern MuseumThe Chern Museum, also known as the ‘‘Home of Geom-etry,’’ located in the east part of the campus, was speciallybuilt as a home for Chern in the 1980s. From 1985, Chernand his wife stayed there for part of each year. From 2000,they lived there permanently. The formal Chinese name ofthis house is ‘‘Ning Yuan,’’ after Mrs. Chern Shi-Ning Zheng.Here ‘‘ning’’ means ‘‘peaceful’’ and ‘‘yuan’’ means ‘‘garden’’in Chinese. In 2011, on the 100th birthday of Chern, it wasopened to the public as a museum.

In thisdedicatedhouse, althoughmanydocuments (letters,manuscripts, publications, prizes and medals, photographs,and other documents and mementos) and personal objectsare exhibited in glass cases on the ground floor, other rooms,and in particular Chern’s living room, dining room, and bed-room, remain as they were when in daily use, including hisdesk and blackboard, books, and papers.

A further reminder of Chern can be found in the city ofTianjin’s Museum of Science and Technology: this is anoriginal calligraphy he penned on request of the Museum,intended to address young people. Its 4 Chinese characterssay, in strong characteristic brushstrokes, and in wordingtypical of children and teenagers, ‘‘Mathematics is lots offun.’’ Following Yiming Long of Chern Institute of Mathe-matics, it contains the four Chinese characters ‘‘shu xue haowan.’’ Here, ‘‘shu’’ means ‘‘number,’’ ‘‘xue’’ means‘‘knowledge,’’ so that their combination, ‘‘shu xue,’’ standsfor ‘‘mathematics.’’ In the last two parts, ‘‘hao’’ means

‘‘good,’’ and ‘‘wan’’ is usually a verb ‘‘to play,’’ so that theircombination stands for ‘‘good to play with,’’ i.e., ‘‘is fun.’’ Itis a quite common way in which children usually say ‘‘a toyis ‘hao wan’ or ‘not hao wan’.’’ Thus, Chern’s calligraphyimplies that mathematics is fun, using the language ofchildren. It is a deep, thoughtful, and interesting combina-tion of words. To the left of the 4 main characters one alsosees S. S. Chern’s signature and the date, July 30th, 2002.

I am grateful to Albert Chu, principal at Otaat, Atp. anddesigner of the memorial, for the following description ofthe Chern Memorial Stone.

The Chern Museum (Photo: Linglei Meng).

The words “shu xue hao wan,” written by Chern.(Permission from the Chern Institute)

� 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York, Volume 36, Number 3, 2014 77

Page 4: Shiing-Shen Chern at Nankai University

‘‘The Chern Memorial at Nankai University in Tianjin,China, is a tribute to the work and life of Professor Shiing-Shen Chern. Situated on a knoll alongside a tree- and stone-lined canal that rings the university campus, the artwork sitsdirectly to the west of the university’s ceremonial entry, onone line with the statue of En-Lai Zhou and the ChernInstitute of Mathematics. Three elements compose theChern Memorial: the ‘blackboard,’ the monument, and the‘topography.’

‘‘The concept derives directly from Prof. Chern’s pro-fessional and personal dictates: he expressed his vision forhis final resting place, as he imagined a true ‘‘place’’—agathering space where his pedagogical intentions wouldcontinue to foster dialogue and engagement. More specif-ically, Prof. Chern wanted to include a blackboard, stools,and an outdoor classroom so that it would become a socialspace.

‘‘The Chern Memorial followed this wish through aformal mathematics language based on Prof. Chern’sbreakthrough paper, ‘A Simple Intrinsic Proof of the Gauss-Bonnet Formula for Closed Riemannian Manifolds,’ whichdescribes using curvatures to define relationships betweenthe global and the differential. This formal mathematics

language based on curvatures and triangulation accom-modates the functional requirements (i.e., outdoorclassroom) and site constraints (i.e., topography) but alsocreates distinctive opportunities for aesthetic motivationsand fluid spatial relationships between the three mainelements.

‘‘The main point of the Chern Memorial is the monu-ment, with the scholar’s geometric exemplars, that is,plaster models used to illustrate complex mathematicalconcepts and formulae. For the Chern Memorial, themonument uses the formal mathematical language of cur-vature and triangulation in carved monolithic white marble.Each face of the three-sided monument displays a differentsense of curvature (i.e., positive, negative, and zero). Thecombination of these curvatures in a prismatic plan createscontinually changing perspectives as the viewer walksaround the object. The dynamism provokes movement,change, and simple elegance, all centered on a sculpturalform whose scale approximates the human.

‘‘Of the monument’s three sides, one face, with zerocurvature, holds a large slab of black marble etched withwhite text, including a scaled replica of Prof. Chern’shandwritten notes on the Gauss-Bonnet Formula. This partrecalls Chern’s blackboard, where viewers congregate,learn, and discuss his mathematical legacy.

‘‘The monument rests on one vertex of an undulatingsurface, creating the effect of a traditional object on apedestal. However, this vertex is situated on the downwardslope facing the canal and because of this architecturalsetting the traditional relationship between object andpedestal is looser. The crest of the knoll obstructs a clearview from the site edge to the stone monument, thusinviting visitors to discover the installation from multipleheights and vantage points. The slopes create opportunitiesof the Chern Memorial to use it as theater, lounge, andinformal gathering space. The composition of the monu-ment, with its ‘‘blackboard,’’ and ‘‘topography’’ thusprovides an ideal setting for users to engage with Prof.Chern’s legacy and with each other.’’

Room 203, Unit 3, Building 42

Zhixincun Xiaoqu

North 4th Ring Road, Haidian District

Beijing 10083

China

e-mail: [email protected]

REFERENCES

Dianzhou, Zhang, The biography of Shiing-Shen Chern, Tianjin, Nankai

University Press, 2004.

Wentsun Wu, Molin Ge, Shiing-Shen Chern and Chinese mathemat-

ics, Tianjin, Nankai University Press, 2007.

Further reading about S. S. Chern is available at http://www.ams.org/notices/201109/rtx110901226p.pdf

The Chern Memorial Stone (Photo: Albert Chu).

A bird 's eye view of the Chern Memorial Stone(Photo: Albert Chu).

78 THE MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCER