The special lecture addressed the questions like “What is physics for?” “Do we still need physics?” that sparked from the fact computer scientists won the Nobel Prize in Physics this year 2024.
Ma Yanqing, PKU Boya Distinguished Professor
Ma Yanqing introduced the foundational discoveries and innovative achievements of the 2024 Nobel laureates in physics, John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, in the field of artificial neural networks. He emphasized the importance of physical concepts and methods in the development of artificial neural networks and machine learning. Through in-depth case analyses, he systematically explained the critical roles of fundamental theories such as diffusion models, mean field theory, and quantum machine learning in improving artificial neural networks, highlighting the core position of physics in scientific development.
Ma explains the process of machine learning
Students raise questions
In the Q&A section, Ma engaged with students on questions related to the developments in artificial neural networks frontier, the applications of artificial intelligence in physics, and the interdisciplinary perspectives of scientific research.
The lecture is co-hosted by the Office of Educational Administration, the School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, and the School of Marxism.
