"There’s nothing surprising that a 22-year-old lad was appointed senior research fellow!" the famous mathematician Lin Qun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the Science and Technology Daily reporter.

The young man Lin Qun referred to is Liu Lu, who has just been appointed a research fellow comparable to a full university professor by Central South University in Changsha, Hunan province. Having successfully solving the mathematical problem "Seetapun Enigma”, this undergraduate student has made himself a star in the international mathematical logical community and a focus of public.

Lin Qun thinks that the appointment should be treated in a tolerant and rational view by society but no over-hype media coverage.

“The appointment was made by the university authorities after serious discussion, which should be respected. " Lin said.

Lin Qun is one of the three academicians of CAS who sent a letter to the Ministry of Education recommending Liu Lu. He said that after Liu Lu had cracked the problem and aroused widespread attention, some overseas universities expressed their intention to recruit him. Therefore, the exceptional appointment by Central South University was obviously meant to "retain the talent".

“There’s no wonder to hire such a promising talent several years in advance. There are quite a few similar precedents." Lin said that to improve treatment is a common practice to prevent brain drain and it is not a big deal. Seetapun Enigma, although not equivalent to Goldbach Conjecture, has received considerable attention in the mathematical community, and is so difficult that it has plagued mathematicians for more than a decade. That a college student can crack it is really wonderful.

Besides the subject itself, what makes him excited is Liu Lu’s mathematical talent and innovation capability. “Cracking an enigma is not as simple as doing a Mathematical Olympiad test but is making a new achievement of mathematics." he said, “It is most important that Liu Lu is able to find the problem and carry forward research independently.”

What Lin Qun worried about is the pressure from the media. ”It is a hot spot on internet and attracted over-heated attention of media and society, which would surely impose an impact on Liu Lu." He said, "We often call for providing talents with an environment favorable for innovation. But it needs trials and I hope that people will give more tolerance.”

Source: Science and Technology Daily