Chapter 1695 - 1601: Legend of the Academic World

Chapter 1695: Chapter 1601: Legend of the Academic World

Joseph continued instructing Delnav: "I heard Professor Gauss is quite energetic, and I hope he can pay attention to using probability theory to adjust map measurement errors during his research."

"The National Mapping Bureau can offer him additional funding for this."

He only learned the basics of the least squares method. As for the application of the overall network triangulation adjustment, that’s something only the geography information major would learn, and he’s merely heard of it.

Moreover, the work involved in map surveying is extremely cumbersome. Without Gauss, it would take at least over ten years to gradually study it.

Joseph glanced at the next doctoral candidate and immediately sighed.

Jean-Baptiste Biot chose optics as his research direction...

"If Mr. Biot isn’t particularly insistent, he may be suggested to switch to electrical research." He said without hesitation, "He can go to Kullen’s laboratory anytime, better yet, directly choose Mr. Coulomb as his mentor."

The Biot-Savart law is used to accurately calculate the magnitude of the magnetic field around a current-carrying wire.

Before this law appeared, determining how much current and coil turns are needed for a telegraph to produce sufficient magnetic force to attract the iron piece required extensive testing.

It can be said, Biot is the "efficiency multiplier" in telegraph research.

Currently, Coulomb and his team are developing telegraphs, having Biot join them is just a natural progression.

Le Roy urgently reminded: "Your Highness, Mr. Coulomb hasn’t accepted the position of a doctoral advisor. You know, he’s very busy usually."

"Arrange an interview for them, he’ll agree."

Joseph’s gaze returned to the doctoral candidate application list, seeing there were over 40 more people behind, he dismissed Le Roy and Delnav, contemplating slowly on his own.

How could Le Roy and Delnav let the Regent King be busy alone, they stayed earnestly by his side.

Joseph didn’t insist, pointed to the name Etienne Louis Malus: "Mr. Malus’s choice of polarization field is very promising, but don’t let him stay at the University of Paris. It’s better to go to the Engineering Design Institute. It’s closer to the Royal Armory..."

Polarized light is used to measure elastic stress, which has huge implications for detecting mechanical structures and casting stress defects in cannon barrels.

France’s breech-loading cannon project desperately needs talents like Malus.

"Why did Mr. Seebeck also choose optics?"

Le Roy quickly said: "Your Highness, in recent years, the wave nature and particle nature of light have been the focus of attention in the academic circle."

Joseph nodded: "But electricity and magnetism are more suited for him..."

Until the sunset disappeared on the horizon, Eman came to remind that it’s almost dinner time, and Joseph finally put down the documents in his hands.

"Alright, gentlemen, we’ll continue tomorrow morning." He stood up.

The entire day, he went through the topic directions of the top 26 people on the list.

What he didn’t anticipate was that this act, initially intended to boost a bit of research efficiency, triggered a great uproar among the doctoral candidates.

At the apartment on Sorbonne Road where the University of Paris is located, Gauss looked at the tree branches outside the window, whispering to himself: "Map surveying?"

An hour ago, the president of the University of Paris met with him and said the Regent of France hoped he could assist the National Mapping Bureau in map drafting when he wasn’t busy, yet he had never done such work before.

"Why would the Regent King mention this?" He fell into deep thought.

Although the Regent of France isn’t part of the academic circle, nor has published any papers, from mathematics to physics to chemistry, and even the medical world in France, there are "legends" about him.

This made it impossible for Gauss to treat his proposal as "the foolish caprice of a superior."

"Using probability theory to adjust map measurement errors?" Gauss recalled Mr. Delnav’s previous words, suddenly feeling as if a current surged in his brain, "Where do these errors come from? Primarily from measurement deviations in the field.

"These errors cannot be eliminated, but I can coordinate thousands of dispersed, conflicting observation values into a coherent, error-optimized positional system to suppress error accumulation and diffusion."

He turned to grab paper and pen, swiftly writing down a series of formulas, "Indeed, it can be done with the least squares method!"

In the office of the University of Paris principal.

Jean-Baptiste Biot lowered his gaze, staring at the tips of his shoes: "I have written some papers on electricity, but the mysterious photons attract me more..."

Delnav glanced at him, helplessly saying: "Alright, I can reveal some information to you.

"You know what Mr. Coulomb’s laboratory is doing?"

"It’s said to be researching a device that stores far more electricity than the Leiden bottle."

"Exactly, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. What you’ll hear next is all national-level secrets." Delnav said, "Mr. Coulomb and Mr. Volta have created a battery that can continuously provide stable current for hours."

Biot immediately sat up straighter: "Then many electrical experiments can be carried out."

"Not just experiments. Coulomb’s laboratory is studying a device that uses current for communication between two places hundreds of kilometers apart. Instantaneous, without delay communication, efficiency surpassing Sharp Signal Tower by a thousand fold."

Biot’s eyes lit up. The main reason he previously gave up electricity was that the Leiden bottle couldn’t support in-depth research.

Delnav continued: "This communication device was actually proposed by the Regent King. And now he suggests you participate in this research."

This last sentence finally made Biot no longer hesitate: "Perhaps, I can give it a try..."

In the office on the east side of the French Academy of Sciences.

Tener looked at his mentor Claude Berthollet in confusion: "But if we can mass-produce ammonia, it’ll change the entire future of industrial chemistry!"

After thorough preparation, he successfully obtained a doctoral position at the French Academy of Sciences.

Berthollet nodded: "The Regent King said synthetic dyes can benefit ordinary people more and more easily yield results."

Yes, Tener’s chosen topic is industrial synthesis of ammonia gas.

And Joseph knows well that synthesizing ammonia requires high temperatures and extremely high pressure, as well as complex catalysts, all indispensable.

These conditions couldn’t be fully met until the early 20th century. Investing major effort now is futile.

Synthetic dye may sound insignificant, but it’s the value enhancer of industrial products.

The same two items, the brightly colored one can fetch two to three times more profit.

Currently, France is fully leading the high-end, high-value-added product market, and dyes bringing luxury are urgently needed, with the market calculated in tens of millions of francs.

Tener hesitated for a moment, remembering the textile factory neighbor who once sponsored his education, reluctantly nodded: "Alright, I’ll listen to you. I hope His Highness is right."