Trip to Heidelberg Laureate Forum
Day 0
During breakfast, I found myself seated alone at a vacant table. Soon, participants began to join, underlining the Forum’s emphasis on networking. I met a participant from Brunei and struggled initially to understand his mention of his country, but eventually realized he was referring to Brunei. An academic from Canada discussed her challenges in balancing her teaching responsibilities with attending the Forum. A recent PhD graduate from India shared his achievement.
Before the afternoon’s opening ceremony, I spotted Stephen Arthur Cook. It was unexpected, as I initially thought he might only be attending in name due to his age. I approached him for a conversation, but we only exchanged smiles. I also met a senior representative from SAP, the forum’s sponsor, who emphasized the importance of face-to-face interactions between young scholars and renowned figures.
The opening ceremony primarily consisted of administrative speeches. The highlight was when luminaries, including Stephen Cook, made their entrances. During a Q&A session, I eagerly raised my hand to answer a question about Robert Endre Tarjan, a well-known figure in the algorithm competition community, but was surprised when another attendee mistakenly mentioned Madhu Sudan. Fortunately, the error was eventually corrected.
After the ceremony, we dined at the university cafeteria. I hoped to meet Robert Tarjan but couldn’t find him amidst the crowd. Soon after, I met John Hopcroft and his wife. Hopcroft expressed his dedication to promoting education in China, highlighting his involvement with various Chinese universities. He also noted the limited number of participants from Mainland China, hoping for a higher turnout in the future. I recall seeing a hearing aid on Hopcroft, which made me wonder if Cook might have had hearing difficulties during our earlier interaction.
Day 1
Before the morning sessions began, I had the chance to see David Patterson. I took the opportunity to talk to him about architectures like RISC-V and MIPS. I shared my aspirations in theoretical computer science and asked for advice on how to integrate knowledge from computer architecture into theoretical computer science. David suggested taking more courses in theoretical computer science and self-study through MOOCs if necessary. He also mentioned that hardware design for AI might be a potential crossover area between architecture and theoretical computer science.
Afterwards, I had a chance to chat with Avi Wigderson. I quickly realized his significant contributions to complexity theory, despite not recognizing him immediately. Avi critiqued Computational Complexity: A Modern Approach, a book I had partially read on computational complexity, recommending his own book Math and Computation as a more accessible and intuitive resource.
In the afternoon, there was a “speed networking” session, and I had the chance to interact with Shigefumi Mori, a renowned algebraic geometer. Later, at the poster session, I engaged with various Ph.D. students and postdocs, exploring their research topics. One project on using deep learning for mixed integer programming caught my attention, though I noted that it focused on pruning methods without changing worst-case complexity.
I concluded the day by securing a seat next to Robert Tarjan during dinner, managing to get his signature and engaging in a meaningful conversation about data structures, algorithmic research, and his own journey in computer science. Tarjan emphasized the continuous learning nature of the field, leaving me with much to ponder about the academic journey ahead.
Day 2
On the second day of my journey at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum, I managed to attend a small class led by Avi Wigderson, discussing random algorithms. The content covered statistics, random algorithms, and pseudo-random numbers, providing a comprehensive overview of these topics. It was a fascinating session as it cleared some of my long-standing doubts about randomness since high school, offering a fresh perspective on how we can perceive probabilities in different scenarios.
During a lunch break, I had the opportunity to reconnect with a recent graduate from India I met earlier and engaged in academic discussions, specifically about Avi Wigderson’s class. This interaction was quite fruitful as it helped in clarifying some concepts and also offered future collaboration possibilities.
In the afternoon, I attended a panel discussion and a series of lightning talks. Even though the panel discussion was a bit dull for my taste, the lightning talks were insightful, with several experts sharing their academic journeys and providing guidance for aspiring researchers.
Additionally, I had the chance to engage in a meaningful conversation with Stephen Cook. We discussed his experiences and perspectives on theoretical computer science, and he offered valuable advice on pursuing a career in this field, emphasizing the importance of a strong mathematical foundation.
Later during the dinner, I talked with Madhu Sudan. He encouraged me to pursue my dream in theoretical computer science, and suggest me to have gap years to accumulate more research experiences if I could not be admitted to a good TCS program.
Day 3
In the afternoon, I had a fantastic opportunity to engage in academic discussions during a boat tour on the Neckar River. I had the chance to converse with a fellow researcher from Hong Kong and an American colleague, both specializing in hardware. The American researcher, a recent PhD graduate now pursuing a postdoctoral position at Rutgers, shared insights on the evolving trends in hardware for AI, highlighting the shift in popularity due to high research costs and the quest for significant breakthroughs.
I also had another chance to interact with the esteemed Robert Tarjan. Our conversation covered a range of topics, from the source of his enduring passion for research even after receiving the Turing Award to the intricacies of theoretical computer science. He emphasized the importance of collaboration in research and encouraged persistence in the pursuit of academic interests.
Additionally, I spoke with John Hopcroft, delving into the current state of theoretical computer science in China. He shared his experiences and initiatives to nurture talent in this field, showcasing successful outcomes at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Peking University.
Day 4
In the morning, I missed the first session but managed to catch up on some supplementary materials in the hotel. Received an email announcing a photo session at 10:30, resulting in a rescheduled online class registration. Despite being unaware of the photo session and forgetting about class registration, I hurried to the venue by 10:10. Upon arrival, preparations for the group photo were just starting.
The group activities in the afternoon involved interacting with distinguished scholars. Each scholar led a group for a leisurely walk around Heidelberg. After the photo session, I joined some peers in a less crowded area for class registration, realizing that it had started a bit earlier than planned.
The next session featured a talk by László Lovász on graph theory, specifically on Graphon. Although the content was intriguing, I regretted not having a stronger background in the subject matter. This was followed by a group discussion on “Why do so many people hate mathematics?”, featuring Robert Tarjan. The discussion mainly revolved around gender disparities in mathematics, with Tarjan suggesting the influence of computer games designed predominantly for boys.
In the afternoon, I successfully registered for Tarjan’s group for the group activity. Unlike other groups crowded with participants, Tarjan’s group had a more intimate setting, allowing for meaningful interactions. I had the opportunity to discuss my research on skip lists and their potential applications in computer science.
The evening concluded with a lecture by Madhu Sudan on error correction in theoretical computer science, providing insights into the use of interpolation polynomials for data verification.
Lastly, we attended a dinner at the Technik Museum Speyer. Although the museum was somewhat secluded and had limited exhibits, the setting provided a unique backdrop for the evening. I had the opportunity to sit at Tarjan’s table, talking about his experience particularly in work life balance.
Day 5
Early morning at 8:00 AM, we gathered for a day filled with academic enrichment. I hurriedly started my day at 7:00 AM, determined not to miss out on the opportunities ahead. At breakfast, I had a chance encounter with a Vietnamese undergraduate student working in optimization, though our conversation was cut short due to time constraints.
The day kicked off with Hugo Duminil-Copin delving into some aspects of physical phase transitions. His expertise in the topic was evident, though I must admit some of the content was beyond my grasp. Following that, I attended two group discussions: “Generative Artificial Intelligence” and “Ensuring AI Benefits Humanity.” To my surprise, Sanjeev Arora, a name I recognized from “Computational Complexity: A Modern Approach,” was present and actively participating.
In the afternoon, we had options between career planning workshops for students, postdocs, and a movie screening. I chose the student career planning session, gaining insights into academic career progression and the potential of transitioning between academia and industry to secure funding.
Later, I had the chance to converse with a fellow researcher working at Google by day and teaching at a Korean university by night, advising 51 students in total. This encounter underscored the diverse and dynamic nature of careers in academia and technology.
The day ended with a visit to the Heidelberg Castle, followed by a banquet with Leslie Lamport, as Nayla, Robert Tarjan’s wife, suggest me to talk with different laureates. We talked about his experience in LaTeX. It was emphasized to me the importance of networking and engaging with a variety of experienced individuals in such prestigious gatherings, driving home the value of these interactions for a young academic’s journey.
