Blog

I always feel that I became a mathematician accidentally. But in retrospect, since I was a kid, I did read serial books about mathematics and mathematicians and has always been drawn to a career and life in mathematics. Below are the books which ignore my interest. Nature’s Numbers: The Unreal Reality Of Mathematics Nature’s Numbers This book by Ian Stewart has some interesting facts about the nature of mathematics. It has been decades since I read it, but I still remember that I was awe-filled when I learned form the book that Fibonacci sequences appear the arrangement of a pine cone. ...

I’ve been a vegan for over three years, and I’ve lived in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China, for the past two years. Adopting a vegan lifestyle is no trivial feat anywhere in the world, but it feels even more challenging here compared to Sweden, where I used to reside. Here’s what I’ve learned about being a vegan in China. Finding Vegan Food in Restaurants Recommended Restaurants Restaurants that I recommend (see details below) include — ...

Having recently read through Robert Wright’s book ‘Why Buddhism is True,’ I was impressed by Buddhism’s intricate comprehension of human psychology. While the book doesn’t directly set Buddhism against Stoicism, my previous exposure to Stoic made me see how the two philosophies could complement each other. Stoicism, particularly its modern interpretations, claims that achieving eudaimonia - the good life - implies “living according to one’s nature.” Stoics define our nature as being “social and rational.” This, in my perspective, is more readily comprehensible than the similar but more intricate concept nirvana presented in Buddhism. ...

While living in Sweden, a friend asked me, “Do you know if this recipe is authentic? I found it on the Internet, and I’m not sure if it’s reliable.” She likely assumed a Chinese person would know more about Chinese cooking than random food bloggers on the Internet. But I playfully replied with feigned seriousness, “Where do you think I learned to cook?” “From the Internet? 😲” “Of course!” ...

I recently give two seminars for DKU’s Discrete Math Seminar on Stein’s method. Here are my slides for the 1st talk and the 2nd talk.

The Sixth Tone is an English news website covering stories in China. A DKU (Duke Kunshan University) student just won a writing contest organized by them with an essay titled Moxa, Receipt, Money, and Generations. It is a candid and touching account on how her father’s obsession with moxa damaged their family. This makes me think that perhaps many of our students also similar family issues. If you are in such a situation, reading the memoir The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls might be helpful. ...

A student recently told me, when they first read my post on climate change, they found the issue very far away from them. But when the recent heatwave (summer 2022) hits, they realized that climate change might be the defining issue of their generation. Here I share a few articles which may hopeful wake-up more young people. Heatwave in China is the most severe ever recorded in the world China heatwave: scorching temperatures and severe drought – in pictures China’s Heat Wave Is Hitting Its Agricultural Sector Hard A Shocking Visualization of the Heatwave ...

DKU bulletin: Embark on an Exciting Journey! Download the DKU (Duke Kunshan University) bulletin and explore your path ahead. Delve into Part 3: The Curriculum and Part 6: Academic Procedures and Information. Don’t miss Part 10: Majors and Courses as it may spark inspiration for your future passions. Course Selections: Your Path to Success Your first term is filled with opportunities: In the first 7-week session, you can embrace up to 8 credits including an engaging four-credit course, an exciting language course, and a PE course to keep you energized! In the subsequent 7-week session, you can go beyond with up to 10 credits. Consider these guidelines to make the most of it: ...

My uncle Mike (Michael J O’Connor) passed away this week. I have only met Mike once in person when I visited Atlanta a couple years ago. It was a brief visit, but Mike’s hospitality made me feel very welcomed. He took me for lunch at Whole Food and had a walk with me in a beautiful park. The morning when I was having breakfast with him at his home, he showed me deer in his backyard with the excitement of a child. That was one of my fondest memories. ...

This is a link post from my family memorial website. A Night of Stories My grandma, Xin Zhao (赵欣), passed away on March 8, 2022, when she was 93 years old. To tell the truth, despite her always being kind to me, I knew very little about her life as I was growing up. When I was in college, my grandpa passed away and my grandma relocated to the US. From that point on, we had fewer chances to meet. ...