Sir Run Run Shaw........
- From: cnw <cnw@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2006 07:13:08 +0800
Drastic career shift brings honor
Thursday, September 14, 2006
The US$1 million (HK$7.8 million) Shaw Prize was established by film and
television mogul and philanthropist Sir Run Run Shaw in November 2002 to honor
scientists who have achieved breakthroughs in academic and scientific research
or application and whose work has benefited mankind. Six 2006 Shaw laureates
were honored earlier this week in a ceremony at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre
for their contributions to mathematical sciences, astronomy, and life science
and medicine. Profiles of the honorees begin today with a joint- winner in
mathematical sciences, Wu Wentsun of the Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing.
From tomorrow, Justin Mitchell will spotlight the three people who shared theastronomy prize
While China's Cultural Revolution meant disaster for many educated professionals
and intellectuals who were persecuted and tortured as "black anti-Party
gangsters," "imperialist intellectuals" and "counter-revolutionaries," its
horrors also meant opportunities.
As fate would have it, the revolution's horrors eventually won a Shaw Prize for
two 2006 laureates. Mathematician Wu Wentsun, 87, is one of them.
This year, Wu shared the Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences with Brown
University professor David Mumford for his work in pure and applied mathematics,
as well as his research in melding computer science and mathematics.
Wu was specifically honored for finding ways of using machine proofs that
transform an elementary geometry problem into an algebraic statement. By doing
so, he revolutionized the field of geometry.
But in the beginning, Wu, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences at
Beijing, did not dream nor even conceive of revolution - either a "cultural one"
or in geometry.
Wu, who was born in Shanghai in 1919, wanted to be a physicist but the president
of his high school - and later a professor at his undergraduate university - had
other plans for him.
"I was sent to study mathematics [at Shanghai Jiatong University] because the
president of my high school decided I should study mathematics."
He speaks forcefully and precisely with an accent that sounds a mixture of
Chinese, German and French because he learned English (and later French) from
European-taught professors.
Wu chuckled and continued.
"At that time I had not much interest in mathematics. I enjoyed physics but
because the president of my high school gave the honor to the three best
students in chemistry, mathematics and philosophy, she chose me for
mathematics."
Even while at Jiatong University, Wu was drawn to physics until his third year
when a professor and mentor "determined that I should henceforth study
mathematics."
So it was done.
As a geometer, Wu was later influenced by another Shaw Laureate, Chern
Shiing-shen (2004).
Wu obtained his doctorate at the National Center for Scientific Research in
Strasbourg, France, in 1949 and became fascinated with topology, the study of
geometric forms that remain constant under certain transformations such as
bending or stretching.
Think "knots" and you are in the general area.
"I became vigorous in the study of topology," said Wu, who was teaching then at
the Beijing University of Science and Technology.
He was able to covertly obtain manuscripts and research papers published in the
United States even though Beijing and Washington did not have diplomatic
relations then.
In 1966 Mao Zedong launched the Cultural Revolution and Wu, along with many
other academics and teachers, found himself faced with a drastic career change.
"At that time, everyone was directed to learn from the peasants and young
people, and they wanted me to teach at a middle school. However, I was not
interested," he said flatly.
"So they sent me to a factory for fabricating computers."
The revolutionary cadres had just done Wu one of the biggest favors of his life,
though they would never know it and he himself did not realize it until later.
Wu had already developed an interest in computers and was applying their use to
his other interest, the history and study of ancient Chinese mathematical
methods.
A friend of his, who had worked on China's development of the atomic bomb, had
tipped him to the potential of computing and to a "new institute of computers to
fabricate the bomb."
Wu, when asked for details, said: "I think that's still a state secret."
He chuckled again.
At his new danwei (work unit) Wu said he quickly became struck by the power of
computers.
"I decided I should apply myself to study computers and apply computers to my
work."
The Cultural Revolution ended with the arrest of the Gang of Four in 1976 and by
1977, Wu had been able to kick- start a paradigm shift in geometry by applying
computing methods to Euclidean geometry. Ironically, he had no access to
computers by then and did much of the final work by hand.
"I thought to myself, `I am a machine' and I succeeded," Wu said.
Word of his work reached the United States, where he was invited to Princeton
University and where he was able to purchase his first computer, a
Hewlett-Packard model which he accidently blew up upon his return to China.
"It was destroyed," he said somewhat ruefully.
"I didn't know how to handle it. It was my fault."
He now uses a Sony notebook model and relies on his computer- savvy son for IT
help.
"I have many interests outside of mathematics," Wu said.
Two in particular are movies (especially the Vivien Leigh classics Waterloo
Bridge and Gone with the Wind) and the ancient strategy game of Go.
Of his benefactor's origins, Wu was vaguely aware.
He said he had never seen a Shaw Brothers production, not even classics such as
One-Armed Swordsman, Five Deadly Venoms or Chinese Super Ninjas.
Sir Run Run Shaw and his brother Run Me built their fortunes producing kung fu
films.
"I became interested in the cinema in France," he said.
"As a student there, I saw a film about Catherine the Great [The Scarlet Empress
starring Marlene Dietrich].
"I was very moved by that film and since my return from France, I've gone to the
cinema quite often."
He pays little attention to cinema schedules and often just visits theaters at
random and watches whatever is playing.
As for Go, Wu is strictly an observer and student, not a player.
"I look at it on the [television] screen and read journals. I enjoy it very much
because its laws are very simple, yet it is also elegant and deep, like a
geometric theorem."
Speaking of geometry, Wu and his co-winner David Mumford never met before the
Shaw Prize ceremonies as their careers have been parallel rather than
contiguous.
And Wu had a confession to make.
"I have looked up his work and tried to read some of his papers, but I do not
understand it."
.
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