However, one thing I can be certain of is that if there really were a young person who understood the Super Helical Coordinate System and could look at this equation and immediately envision its geometric configuration in their brain, then I would definitely have heard of his name, since he would have already demonstrated remarkable talent in other areas. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Among the younger generation of mathematicians, maybe Schultz could do it after some study, but I'm not certain."
The candid answer plunged Qiao Ze into another kind of doubt. Circling in his mind were the words Su Mucheng had said to him earlier, "...Qiao, you must know that the Xilin University of Technology School of Mathematics isn't the top academic institution in Huaxia. Those who get admitted to Yanbei or Huaqing's mathematics programs are the real geniuses. Just because I can't doesn't mean they can't!"
After a moment of thought, Qiao Ze said to Wang Yu, "Go and ask Professor Xu to come here."
"Professor Xu Changshu?" Wang Yu asked again.
He researched all the professors surnamed Xu.
Xu Changshu was on the second floor, while the other Professor Xu was in the teaching building provided by the school.
"Yes, he's on the second floor," Qiao Ze nodded.
Professor Xu had been specially requested from Yanbei and had already made significant achievements.
Recently he was busy with a very important paper and certainly wouldn't rest over the weekend.
Of course, Qiao Ze knew Xu Changshu was definitely downstairs, not by guesswork, but because he had seen Xu Changshu washing cups outside the washroom at the end of the second-floor corridor when he was passing by.
So Xu Changshu was quickly brought upstairs by Wang Yu.
After glancing at Edward Witten and greeting him, Xu Changshu then turned to Qiao Ze and asked, "Professor Qiao, do you need something?"
"Yes, could you take a look at this equation and tell me if you can directly envision its geometric structure?" Qiao Ze asked again.
Xu Changshu glanced at it, and with a twist of his mouth, said, "Professor Qiao, if you gave me an equation like a x ^2 + b y^ 2 = c, I could imagine an ellipse and with specific values, I could deduce more detailed information.
Or let's talk about regular polyhedra or even the projective configurations of some simple figures; that shouldn't be too difficult. But if you give me an Einstein field equation and ask me to conjure up its manifold, that would be challenging for me.
Unless it's some specific equation. But to say a random Super Helix Equation and expect me to imagine it... Qiao, are you perhaps misunderstanding something about mathematics or the associative abilities of humans?"
"Hmm, perhaps there is some misunderstanding," Qiao Ze nodded, somewhat disheartened.
Indeed, he was an oddity, an oddity out of step with other normal people.
Qiao Ze also understood the reason behind Su Mucheng's words.
She probably didn't want him feeling different from everyone else, right?
The five doctoral students standing in line all exhaled in relief.
That was good, hopefully, Qiao would now realize it wasn't a matter of them not trying hard enough.
They had said it: how many people can spot the patterns in these equations, let alone solve them instantly?
Just the proof of the first step was enough to drive one to despair.
"Thank you for your help, Professor Xu."
"Is that everything?"
"Oh, then I'll go back down. My paper is almost finished; help me review it later."
"Sure," Qiao Ze nodded.
Having received a satisfactory response, Xu Changshu was about to turn to leave when he suddenly felt something was amiss and turned back to ask, "Professor Qiao, you're not saying you can reconstruct this equation's structure within the Super Helical Coordinate System with just one look, are you?"
"Hmm?" Qiao Ze pondered and then, with a rare sigh, said, "Maybe because I designed the problem."