Shenzhen University School of Mathematical Sciences  

Liyuan Scholars Colloquium Session 160

Title: From Solving Equations to Galois Theory

Speaker: Professor Hourong Qin (Nanjing University）

Time: 15:00–16:00, January 16, 2026

Location: Room 2, Huixing Building, Yuehai Campus, Shenzhen University

Abstract:  Solving equations is a central problem in mathematics. This talk focuses on monic polynomial equations. We will review the history of solving algebraic equations, explain the Abel-Ruffini theorem, and briefly introduce the great Galois theory.

Speaker Profile:  Hourong Qin is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Nanjing University. He serves on the editorial boards of the Annals of Mathematics and Advances in Mathematics. He received the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in 1999 and was appointed as a Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor under the Ministry of Education's program in 2004. From 1998 to 2022, he served as Party Secretary and Department Head of the Mathematics Department at Nanjing University. He is the President of the 10th and 11th sessions of the Jiangsu Mathematical Society and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board for the 12th session. His research focuses on algebraic number theory and algebraic K-theory. Professor Qin has achieved significant breakthroughs in the historical problem of congruences; made original contributions to the Tame and Tate kernels of number fields, sparking extensive follow-up work; and made breakthroughs in studying Mazur's conjecture and the Lang-Trotter conjecture on anomalous primes for elliptic curves. He has published dozens of papers in internationally renowned journals. Since 1995, he has been the sole Chinese scholar invited seven times to deliver one-hour plenary lectures at international K-theory conferences. His research has generated extensive and positive impact among international peers, with his methodology being referred to as “Qin's method.”

He currently serves as a member of the State Council's Discipline Review Panel, the Ministry of Education's Mathematics Teaching Guidance Committee, the Mathematics Expert Committee of the Ministry of Education's 101 Project, and the convener of the East China Region for the Chinese Mathematical Society.

As the primary contributor, his project “Exploration and Practice of Cultivating Scientific Research Innovation Capabilities Among Undergraduate Mathematics Students at Nanjing University” received the First Prize for Teaching Achievement in Jiangsu Province in 2022. As the sole contributor, his work “Interdisciplinary Innovative Research at the Intersection of Number Theory and K-theory” was awarded the First Prize for Natural Science by the Ministry of Education in 2025.

All faculty and students are welcome!  

School of Mathematical Sciences  

January 12, 2026