The Beauty of the Truth-seeking Process in Mathematics

 

As a renowned mathematician, Professor Mok is well-known in the mathematical community for his global perspective on pure mathematics and for having solved a series of important conjectures and problems using a combination of analytic, algebraic and geometric methods. His contributions brought him numerous prestigious honours along his scientific journey. 2022 is cer tainly a good harvest year for him as he was awarded the Chern Prize in Mathematics at the International Congress of Chinese Mathematicians, as well as the 2022 Future Science Prize in Mathematics and Computer Science, also known as China’s Nobel Prize, which aims at recognising scientific breakthroughs and innovations in the Greater China Region. It is a well-deserved award for his exceptional contributions to promoting the development of mathematics and computer science related basic research in the Greater China region.

 

Some say mathematicians are introverts, but his journey of curiosity led him to explore the world. After completing his PhD at Stanford University in 1980, he embarked on his exciting research career in mathematics at Princeton University, Columbia University and University of Paris. Finally, in 1994, he returned to Hong Kong and took up the role of the Chair Professor at the Department of Mathematics of HKU.

 

Talking about what opened his door to mathematics, Professor Mok provided a certain answer – books. Back in the old days, the City Hall Library was his favourite spot in his spare time as a student. ‘You can always find something interesting and intriguing in books. Whenever I went to the library, I would search for books that were filled with fascinating contents, particularly those related to mathematics.’ Reading has cultivated his enthusiasm and enriched his mathematical knowledge. ‘It has long been the impetus which spurs me to be a mathematician,’ added Professor Mok, agreeing that he has to attribute his academic accomplishments to reading.

 

Apart from mathematics, he is also an enthusiast of linguistics. He can speak seven languages, including Cantonese, Mandarin, English, French, Italian, German and Japanese, and, with the obvious exceptions and German, he masters these languages all by self-learning.

 

His communicative competence is one of the key factors fostering his success in academia. ‘One of the essential things about scientific research is to learn and assimilate knowledge from various angles. During his time in academic research, Professor Mok always develops a close connection with fellow mathematicians across the globe. He often chats with them in different languages.

 

He also reiterated that we can always gain inspirational ideas when we listen and learn from others. In the meantime, meeting and chatting with people from different backgrounds, academically, culturally, and ethnically, can amaze us serendipitously. ‘They just make you feel like you are not doing research but developing a long-term friendship and a social circle that can offer you countless happiness and unforgettable moments in your life,’ he added. ‘Therefore, I always encourage students to socialise more with others,’ said Professor Mok.

 

Having spent nearly 30 years at HKU by now, Professor Mok has a sense of mission to motivate his students and researchers toward higher-level achievement. He believes that the beautiful truth-seeking process will bind researchers across generations and continue to enable the flourishing of mathematics and its innumerable applications to scientific development.

 

‘If you want to kick off your career in academics, especially in science, you should power up your passion and vision in pursuing the truth,’ he emphasised. ‘It takes time to learn what people have already known, so familiarity with the literature is very important. But it is also essential to find an area of research that is attractive to you and a direction of research you would love to be engaged in, and it will involve trial and error. With a young mind, you should start to develop your sense about scientific research in an early stage; such delightful experience will stay with you for your life.