I Can Meet with Dead Scientists

Chapter 443: Zhang 223 "About This Struggling Author Pulling an All-Nighter to Write 15,000 Words, So I Don’t Want to Make a Title"_2

As a good young man of the 21st century, Xu Yun didn’t have a habit of eavesdropping on others.

But considering the special situation of this dungeon, after some hesitation, he still quietly sneaked to the side of the tent.

At this time, the bottom of the tent faintly showed some bright light, and some rustling sounds came from inside the tent.

"Will, do you like it on top or at the bottom?"

"At the bottom."

"Okay, can you keep up with this speed? I’m speeding up....."

"Mr. Thomson, easier....."

Xu Yun: "????"

No way?

Really just know the man up?

Just as he was about to quietly leave the tent, Thomson suddenly said:

"In the Cartesian coordinate system, if you choose this tangent line at the bottom, then the vertex normal will change."

"As a result...see? Their direction in three-dimensional space is very likely not perpendicular..."

"And if the tangent space is defined at each vertex, then two more steps are needed to get the normalized TBN matrix..."

"By the way, Will, am I speaking too fast? Do you need me to go back to the previous speed?"

"No need, Mr. Wilson, I can keep up."

"Great, then I’ll continue."

Xu Yun: "..."

WTF?

These two men are hiding under the covers studying math in the middle of the night?

This seems more outrageous than communicating back and forth...

Then Xu Yun rubbed his cheeks hard and began to seriously listen to the content.

Soon he confirmed that Thomson and Will were discussing matrices and tangent space.

Matrix.

This is a common tool in higher algebra, and shadows of similar matrices can be seen vaguely in both ancient Eastern and Western math history.

For example, the earliest written "Nine Chapters on the Art of Mathematics" in the early Eastern Han Dynasty.

In this arithmetic book, separating coefficients represent systems of linear equations, obtaining their augmented matrix.

Then in the process of elimination.

Using operations like multiplying a row by a non-zero real number and subtracting another row from a row is equivalent to elementary matrix transformations.

But unfortunately, the concept of matrices as understood today was not there yet—although it was the same in form with the current matrix.

Therefore, at that time, this method was only the standard representation and treatment method for systems of linear equations.

Just like the mentioned astronomical calendar.

Both belong to the ancient Huaxia tools with early applications but did not find the correct direction.

As for the emergence of modern matrices, it appeared during Gauss’s time.

Later, Arthur Kelly officially proposed matrix theory in 1858, and he was recognized as the founder of matrix theory.

After that, it became the matter of Frobenius, Hermite, and Poincaré, eventually developing into the current commonly used matrix modules.

Upon seeing this.

Smart students must have already noticed.

That’s right.

In normal history.

Arthur Kelly would officially propose matrix theory in 1858, and it would spread to universities around 1870.

It is very obvious.

Matrix as a tool, like the flashlight, is again a theory that appeared early.

However, based on Thomson’s teaching, the mastery of matrices in this era is somewhat primitive.

Not to mention, even far from the Hilbert stage.

Thomson is a top student who graduated from the University of Cambridge, exposed to the most advanced theoretical knowledge of the era.

His solutions are still primitive, which allows a rough assessment of the matrix frontier.

Thus, throughout the process.

What really puzzled Xu Yun was not the early appearance of matrices, but...

Thomson was actually teaching Will math knowledge?

It’s important to know.

No matter how primitive the matrix is, its basic requirements are still very high.

Not to mention the content involving tangent space.

Bluntly speaking.

In the 21st century, many college students will never encounter tangent space.

Of course.

If you are in a math olympiad class, you might get involved with related knowledge in middle school.

This is still the case in the 21st century, let alone 1850?

Could it be that this big boy with a full Scottish countryside accent had some special experiences?

For example, he excelled academically during high school, even self-studying part of the college knowledge but had to drop out due to family circumstances?

Thomson then discovered his talent by chance.

So he took him to London, teaching Will some knowledge along the way?

This should be a rather reasonable explanation, and there are quite a few famous people in history with similar experiences.

The most representative is Faraday.

This scientific giant, only one letter apart from Ferrari, was born into a poor blacksmith family. His father was weak and sickly, with low work efficiency.

Also due to the first industrial revolution led by Lord Niu, the profession of blacksmith declined dramatically akin to the A-shares.

Thus, Faraday’s family income was meager, barely sustaining a living.

Affected by this.

Faraday didn’t receive formal education during childhood, dropping out after only two years of primary school.

For livelihood reasons, he could only work as a newspaper boy on the street at the age of just 12.

The following year, he became an apprentice at a bookseller and bookbinder’s home.

Relying on the knowledge gained during bookbinding, Faraday used scrap materials to create an electrostatic machine and conducted simple chemical and physical experiments.

Meanwhile, because mechanical print machines hadn’t appeared, books were expensive, and reading was an upper-class privilege, Faraday was exposed to various notable figures.