Beijing, 26th September 2025 (BISTU)--- BISTU faculty and students received an inspiring academic report “Understanding Mathematics” delivered on 24th September by Xi Nanhua, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chairman of Chinese Mathematical Society.

President Guo Fu met with Academician Xi Nanhua. Guo Fu expressed warm welcome to Academician Xi Nanhua and extended thanks for his care and support with development of the University.

Starting from Euclid's Theorem, Xi Nanhua emphasized the implications that primes are the building blocks of the integers. He explained that Euclid's classical proof by contradiction and Euler's product formula for the Riemann zeta function, though seemingly worlds apart, are profoundly connected in spirit. He discussed several cases where mathematicians transformed the very nature of problems to achieve breakthroughs. A prime example was Bernhard Riemann's revolutionary approach to understanding the distribution of prime numbers. Meanwhile, he explored the three fundamental characteristics of mathematics: abstraction, rigor, and creativity. He then delved into the profound dialectical relationship between the perceived "beauty" of mathematics—its simplicity, symmetry, and depth—and its distinctive "mode of thinking" marked by rigorousness, abstraction, and innovativeness. Xi Nanhua also shared his experiences of working together with mathematicians from various fields and encouraged faculty and students to face challenges bravely when pursuing the truth in mathematical studies.

Xi Nanhua answered questions raised by students on mathematics and doing research. He added that mathematics is actually invisibly applied in quite some areas of our life, such as artificial intelligence, big data, block-chain, etc. Learning fundamental mathematics shall not be confined to a utilitarian perspective. Mathematics will help cultivate a habit of “using logic to solve problems” and it is the theoretical basis of other disciplines. Xi Nanhua said.

The Seminar was chaired by Vice President Xiao Zhisong. He expressed that Academician Xi Nanhua showed us the internal logic and shining charm of mathematics. Mathematics is more a tool and language to understand the world and to explore the truth than just formula and calculations. Xiao Zhisong pointed out that the Seminar will motivate BISTU faculty and students to think and observe in a mathematical manner.

The seminar, sponsored by Department of Research and organized by School of Applied Sciences, showed students and faculty the beauty of mathematics. It deepened students’ understanding of mathematical research and kindled the passion for further studies. More similar seminars delivered by leading scholars would be organized by the University in coming months.

The Academician Seminar aims to promote top-tier academic exchange to stimulate innovation, build a dynamic research culture, and elevate our global scientific standing through high-quality scholarly collaboration.

About Xi Nanhua:

Xi Nanhua, a famous mathematician, member of the standing committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, researcher and doctoral supervisor of Academy of Mathematics and Systems of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chairman of Chinese Mathematical Society, and Vice President of the Shanghai University of Science and Technology, is currently also editor-in-chief of Science China- Mathematics. He is mainly engaged in research in the field of algebraic groups and quantum groups. He proved Lusztig's conjecture on the fundamental ring of bilateral cavities for affine A-type Weyl groups. The conjecture of Deligne-Langlands on the affine Hecke algebra was determined as a sufficient condition for its validity. In collaboration with Lusztig, he discovered the canonical left cell cavity. And he worked together with Chari to construct monomial bases of quantum groups, computed certain canonical bases, and gave an exchange formula between root vectors. He is the winner of Chen Shengshen Prize in Mathematics in 2005 and the second prize of National Natural Sciences Award in 2007. In 2009 he was elected academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences.