Legend Phan Duc Chinh – The man who laid the foundation of Vietnamese Mathematics

In the history of Vietnamese Mathematics, there are names that have become symbols, not only because of their outstanding talent but also because of their great personality. Associate Professor, Doctor, People's Teacher Phan Duc Chinh is such a person. He is a pioneering scientist, a teacher of many generations and the author of the first Vietnamese problem to enter the history of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), leaving a brilliant legacy for the country's education .

Associate Professor, Doctor, People's Teacher Phan Duc Chinh. Source: Professor, Doctor Nguyen Duy Tien.

Co-author of the first Math book published in the Soviet Union

Associate Professor, Dr. People's Teacher Phan Duc Chinh was born on September 15, 1936 in Saigon, originally from Dong Ngac village, Tu Liem district, Hanoi , a land rich in tradition of learning. During more than half a century of dedication to mathematics and education, he left a deep mark in the formation and development of the field of Analysis in Vietnam, and was one of the founders of the movement to foster excellent students in Mathematics nationwide.

From 1952 to 1954, he studied at Albert Sarraut High School – one of the most prestigious French schools at that time. In 1956, at the age of 20, he graduated from Hanoi University of Science and Education and became a lecturer at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Hanoi University of Science as soon as the school was established.

In 1961, he was sent by the State to the Soviet Union to do research under the guidance of the eminent mathematician GE Shylov. Four years later, he successfully defended his doctoral thesis in Mathematics and Physics at Lomonosov University, Moscow – one of the world's leading scientific centers.

During his time here, he and Professor Shylov co-authored the famous monograph "Measure, Integral, Derivative in Linear Spaces" (Nauka, 1967), a pioneering work in the study of measure and analysis in infinite-dimensional linear spaces. This was also the first Mathematics book co-authored by a Vietnamese published in the Soviet Union, later translated into English and Czech and cited by many international scholars.

Coach Phan Duc Chinh and Coach Le Hai Chau with the Vietnamese team participating in IMO 1974.

Returning to Vietnam in 1965, he continued teaching at the Faculty of Mathematics, Hanoi University of Science. In the context of fierce war, he and colleagues such as Professor Le Van Thiem and Dr. Hoang Tuy pioneered the opening of a "special math class" for gifted high school students, under the direct direction of Prime Minister Pham Van Dong. The classes amid bombs and bullets laid the foundation for the later system of specialized math schools.

In 1965, Mr. Phan Duc Chinh was the one who coached the math team of the University, which won 9/10 prizes in the national excellent student competition that year. During many years of teaching specialized math, he trained a series of excellent students, many of whom later became scientists, teachers, and outstanding managers such as Tran Van Nhung, Dao Trong Thi, Hoang Le Minh, Nguyen Dong Anh, Hoang Ngoc Ha...

In addition to his teaching and research career, he is also a prestigious translator of many classic mathematical works: Theory of functions of real variables (Natanson), Foundations of Mathematical Analysis (Dieudonné), Topological vector spaces (Robertson), Advanced Algebra (Kurosh), Foundations of Mathematical Analysis (She-Tzen Hu)... In particular, his book "Inequalities" (University and College Publishing House, 1973) is an important document for many generations of students and teachers specializing in Mathematics.

Before moving to Ho Chi Minh City, he continued to impart valuable experience to generations of young teachers, leading many Vietnamese teams to participate in the International Math Olympiad.

Professor Phan's problem Duc Chinh at IMO 1977, a historic milestone

In 1977 , the IMO exam was held in Yugoslavia (now Serbia), and for the first time a Vietnamese author had a problem selected as an official exam question.

The problem of Associate Professor Phan Duc Chinh in the 1977 IMO exam. Source: Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics.

The problem is as follows:

“In a finite sequence of real numbers, the sum of any seven successive terms is negative, and the sum of any eleven successive terms is positive. Determine the maximum number of terms in the sequence”.

Pandemic:

In a finite sequence of real numbers, the sum of any 7 consecutive terms is always negative and the sum of any 11 consecutive terms is positive. Determine the maximum number of terms in the sequence.

The solution of Czech contestant Martin Cadek. This solution was awarded a special prize by the IMO 1977 Organizing Committee for its originality and better than the answer of the Jury, although Cadek only won a bronze medal in this competition.

After that, Vietnam had 3 problems selected for the IMO, which were the problem of author Van Nhu Cuong, IMO in 1982; the problem of author Nguyen Minh Duc, IMO in 1987; and most recently, the problem of author Tran Quang Hung, IMO in 2025.

In 1977, Professor Phan Duc Chinh laid the foundation stone, opening a new and proud chapter for Vietnamese Mathematics in the international arena.

A great teacher, a great personality

Despite being a leading scientist in the field of Analysis, a teacher respected by many generations of students and colleagues, Associate Professor, Doctor, People's Teacher Phan Duc Chinh still maintains a simple, kind and approachable lifestyle.

Associate Professor, Dr. People's Teacher, Chairman of the Science Council of the High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences, assessed that Associate Professor, Dr. Phan Duc Chinh is a talented pedagogue, the most knowledgeable and experienced teacher in Vietnam in the field of training excellent students in Mathematics - a profession that few people dare to take on and even fewer people are good at.

“More importantly, he has a great personality. His simplicity, tolerance, elegance and wholehearted help for colleagues and students make many generations of A0 General Students always remember and admire him,” Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Vu Luong shared.

Professor, Doctor of Science Nguyen Duy Tien, a close colleague, once shared: “He is a kind teacher, a profound pedagogue, a sincere and easy-going friend. In happy moments, he likes to tell humorous stories, full of hidden charm, making everyone feel relieved and loved.”

The friendship between Mr. Chinh and musician Van Cao is a vivid proof of his open-mindedness. The talented musician once said: “Drinking and talking with Mr. Chinh, I realized that mathematicians are not as dry as people think. He is actually very humorous and profound...”

As a person who loves his job, his country, and his students, Mr. Phan Duc Chinh always maintains his respect for the previous generation, and is willing to inspire and share his experiences with the younger generation. Even though he is retired, every time he recalls the difficult years of teaching the Math major, his eyes still shine with emotion.

He once confided: “In my life, I have rarely shed tears. Yet in the summer of 1974, the first time I led 5 Vietnamese students to compete in the International Math Olympiad in Berlin, winning 4 prizes at once, including first and second prizes – I could not hold back the tears, they just kept flowing…”

It was not only a teacher's emotional moment before his student's success, but also the pride of a patriot, knowing that Vietnamese knowledge and will have reached the heights of the world.

For his contributions, Associate Professor Dr. Phan Duc Chinh was awarded the Third Class Labor Medal (1999) and the Second Class Labor Medal (2003). Associate Professor Phan Duc Chinh passed away on August 26, 2017, at the age of 82, in Ho Chi Minh City.

After his death, his family announced the establishment of the annual Phan Duc Chinh Award worth 100 million VND to be presented to Teachers and Students of the High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences, a school formed from the A0 math block founded by him. The Phan Duc Chinh Award began in 2018, with a maximum of 2 Teachers worth 40 million VND and 2 Students worth 30 million VND each year. The list of Teachers and Students is voted by the Voting Council with the approval of the School and Family.

In 2019, his name was used to name a large lecture hall at the High School for Natural Sciences.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/huyen-thoai-phan-duc-chinh-nguoi-dat-nen-mong-toan-hoc-viet-nam-post2149041632.html