Professor Ngo Bao Chau: ‘Life of research only needs a few discoveries to be happy’

Professor Ngo Bao Chau at the talk – Photo: TRUONG NHUAN

“I had a crisis in my studies”

At the talk, Professor Ngo Bao Chau said that in scientific research there are always many different difficulties. But according to him, the most difficult thing is that each person must always know how to renew themselves.

He explained that when he was in school, he was equipped with a number of tools or “weapons” of thinking to solve all kinds of problems. After a while, the problems that can be solved from these “weapons” will run out.

At that time, finding new problems will be challenging. Especially when the time is less and less while the people doing the research are getting older.

Therefore, if one wants to maintain a “long-term” path of mathematical research, according to Professor Chau, each person must not only always update information and knowledge but also really change themselves.

They need to learn new things. Not just hanging around in one form, but constantly learning more forms of math. In other words, they always have to know how to choose new topics and change their thinking “weapon”.

Confiding to the students in the hall, Professor Ngo Bao Chau said that he had a period of crisis in studying.

When he was a math major at Hanoi University, he could solve any math problem. When he went to France to study at the École normale supérieure Paris, there were times when he could not understand what people were teaching him. Why understand and distinguish so many abstract theories in mathematics?

Professor Chau believes that the turning point came when he met Professor Gérard Laumon, who later guided him in his doctoral research. This teacher’s approach to math told him that abstract knowledge in mathematics is not to puzzle, but from abstract things can solve concrete problems.

Abstract concepts also help to improve your scientific expression. According to Professor Chau, understanding what is abstract will elevate learners’ thinking a step further.

95% of the time research deadlock

Professor Ngo Bao Chau said that in scientific research, the results obtained by each person are not necessarily a breakthrough, but rather a daily cumulative process.

For example, when you are new to theorems, theories, and concepts in mathematics, you may not immediately understand. But if you get acquainted every day, learn a little, then a few months later, you will certainly no longer find it strange.

In other words, according to Professor Chau, people who follow the mathematical path always need to be diligent and serious about themselves. Math learners can practice thinking and manipulating math concepts every day.

Professor Chau explains that while doing research, 90-95% of the time is at a standstill. Breakthrough moments that help you succeed are rare.

Challenging is always part of research because if it were easy, perhaps no research or scientists would be needed. “In the life of research, I think we only discover a few or three times that we are already happy and find life meaningful,” said Professor Chau.