Brief Introduction:

For commemorating the 110th anniversary of the birth of Professor Shiing-Shen Chern, Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon recalled some unforgettable memories of his interactions with Professor Chern.

1) Professor Chern — a man of vision

Professor Chern believed that differential geometry has to be properly intertwined with topology and other mathematical considerations. And with Chern characteristic classes, he had contributed greatly to many mathematical fields. He also encouraged many young scholars to actively present their most recent results and interact with more senior mathematicians.

2) The vivid memories of two exchanges with Professor Chern

The first was at the meeting called "The Mathematical Heritage of Elie Cartan" held in Lyons in 1984, where Professor Chern explained about moving frames and why it's an easy concept to him. However, it may not be that easy for others to use moving frames in a really skillful way as Professor Chern did. The second was when Professor Bourguignon invited Professor Chern to give an interview to be published in the Gazette des mathématiciens, which is an official publication of the Société Mathématique de France, and asked permission for making the interview in the form of a video, it was immediately agreed by Mrs. Chern. The video finally became a fantastic remembrance of Professor Chern and his way of dealing with mathematics.

3) Meeting people who shares great admiration for Professor Chern

Professor Bourguignon once was interviewed at the World Economic Forum in Davos by a young Chinese journalist who happened to have been trained at Nankai University. He asked her whether she knew of Professor Chern and she told him that she had participated to the memorial ceremony organised spontaneously by students of Nankai University when Professor Chern passed away. For him having the opportunity to meet people who have a great admiration for Professor Chern, as he has, is always a special moment to cherish.

(Above is the video speech that Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon planned to deliver at CIM's Conference of Commemorating the 110th Anniversary of the Birth of Professor Shiing-Shen Chern)

Jean-Pierre Bourguignon is a French mathematician and member of the Academia Europaea. He previously served as the Director of the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (IHÉS), President of the Société Mathématique de France, the European Mathematical Society, and the European Research Council (ERC). He has received the Prix Paul Langevin from the Académie des Sciences de Paris, and the Prix du Rayonnement Français in Mathematical Sciences and Physics. He is also an Honorary Professor of Nankai University.