Chapter 19: Rising Fame

“Randolph, have you ever considered working in France for a few years? At the French Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies in Paris, Jean Dieudonné, René Thom, Louis Michel, David Ruelle, and I are preparing to undertake some significant work in algebraic geometry.

You must have seen my report at the mathematics conference two years ago, where I discussed the work we plan to accomplish over the next decade.

After reviewing the mathematical map you presented, I have many new ideas about the work ahead. It is possible that within this century we will achieve a unified foundation for various branches of mathematics at the intrinsic logical level.

The different specialized fields are merely variations in form; they all share a unified core.

I believe with your involvement, we can realize this vision much more quickly.” Grothendieck did not speak French but extended his invitation directly to Lin Ran in somewhat imperfect English.

He spoke slowly, sometimes unclearly.

If Lin Ran truly was a mathematician, such an opportunity would have been enough to keep him awake with excitement—working alongside top mathematicians on projects that could profoundly shape the future of mathematics.

Given his abilities, assuming the mantle of the mathematical pope was not just a possibility but highly likely.

Unfortunately, Lin Ran had little interest in pure theoretical mathematics. To him, mathematics was a tool—a means to better achieve aerospace goals—not an end in itself.

“Professor, I’m sorry, but I don’t speak French and I’m reluctant to leave America. I think we can stay in frequent contact via fax while I’m here in New York,” Lin Ran politely declined, looking at the still relatively young and renowned mathematician.

Grothendieck did not press further. Instead, he said, “Very well. If you have any ideas, feel free to share them with me. Fox has my fax number.”

Then he smiled wryly. “I hope we won’t have to relive the time during my university days when I rediscovered measure theory and the Lebesgue integral. We shouldn’t waste too much time on meaningless matters.”

Grothendieck had attended Montpellier University, where the professors taught strictly from the textbooks. Disappointed by this, he stopped attending classes. Historically, Montpellier was known as one of the most backward French universities in mathematics at that time.

In such an environment, Grothendieck, through his own efforts, rediscovered the concepts of measure theory and the Lebesgue integral.

This was much like Einstein developing statistical physics based on his own ideas.

“I understand, Professor. Of course, I understand.”

***

When the entire academic conference ended, all mathematicians acknowledged that Fermat’s Last Theorem had been proven by Lin Ran, transforming the conjecture into a theorem.

The paper was not published in any mathematical journal.

At that time, the journal *Mathematical Advances* had not yet been launched. *Acta Mathematica* was a Swedish journal, *Annals of Mathematics* was managed by Princeton University, and the *American Mathematical Society Journal* would not appear until the late 1980s.

Many mathematical journals vied to publish Lin Ran’s proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem as a special issue. Some of the highest-ranking secondary journals even offered a staggering $10,000 honorarium.

It should be noted that back then, academic journals did not pay authors; in fact, authors often had to pay publication fees.

For example, the *Annals of Mathematics* charged between $200 and $500 for the page fees on long papers.

Only papers of the caliber of Fermat’s Last Theorem, which could elevate the journal’s prestige, would receive such treatment.

Columbia University, however, was reluctant to sponsor other academic journals, especially the *Annals of Mathematics*. Moreover, the mathematical community at the time needed a new top-tier journal.

Upon hearing the news, the American Academic Publishing House, which would later issue *Mathematical Advances*, approached Columbia University. The two parties quickly agreed to jointly launch a new premier mathematics journal.

The inaugural issue of *Mathematical Advances* was brought forward from the original 1965 to 1960, with Lin Ran’s proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem as its flagship work.

There was no honorarium, but Columbia University provided Lin Ran with a $20,000 annual research grant under a long-term research project.

After Tsung-Dao Lee won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957, Columbia University had extended the same treatment to him.

In addition to the research grant, Columbia awarded Lin Ran the James Madison Professorship.

Such named professorships are typically endowed chairs funded by alumni or corporations, offering additional stipends. James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, had endowed this chair with an extra $10,000 annual stipend.

This meant Lin Ran’s annual salary from Columbia University was $30,000 higher than that of a regular mathematics professor.

Other implicit benefits included a reduced teaching load and the provision of a dedicated research assistant.

But that was not all; the most substantial subsidy came from the Rockefeller Foundation.

***

The Rockefeller Foundation provided him with a $50,000 annual long-term grant.

Thus, in 1960, Lin Ran’s total annual compensation approached $100,000.

“I never expected to enjoy a $100,000 annual salary as early as 1960—that’s roughly equivalent to a mid-level software engineer’s salary in Silicon Valley in 2020,” Lin Ran thought.

Beyond the financial benefits, widespread media coverage elevated his fame even further.

Previously, only *The New York Times* had reported on him, hedging with words like “suspected,” “seems,” or “possibly.” Now, it was confirmed.

Officially, Lin Ran was affiliated with the University of Göttingen and, being of Chinese descent, newspapers hailed him as the “Pride of the Chinese” and the “Chinese Gauss.”

Compared to the parity violation discovered by Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen-Ning Yang a few years earlier, Lin Ran’s Fermat’s Last Theorem was much easier to explain.

The extended “Randolph Program” was even lauded by some mathematicians as providing a roadmap for mathematical research throughout the 20th century.

This provided ample material for extensive coverage.

There were reports from mainland China as well, though these omitted Lin Ran’s nationality and instead emphasized his Chinese heritage.

In Taiwan, because Lin Ran had accepted a professorship invitation from Tsinghua University in Taiwan, the local newspapers extolled him extravagantly—almost calling him one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century, though they tempered it by saying “one of.”

Meanwhile, the *Chinese American Daily*, a Chinese-language newspaper founded in New York, fervently celebrated his significance to the Chinese community.

“Before the witness of numerous mathematicians, the young Chinese-American mathematician Randolph Lin announced the resolution of Fermat’s Last Theorem. The underlying theories will transform mathematical research in the 20th century and beyond, while also heralding the immense potential of the Chinese in the scientific field.”