Dear Participants,
First of all, on behalf of the Chern Institute of Mathematics, I would like to welcome all of you to attend this International Conference on Topology and Physics, which is dedicated to the memory of our beloved friend Xiao-Song Lin.
As many of us might have already known, today is actually Xiao-Song's 50th birthday.
When Professor Zhenghan Wang, during his visit here last year, made the suggestion of having a kind of conference for Xiao-Song, our initial motivation was indeed to try to celebrate Xiao-Song’s 50th birthday. We feel so reluctant that when it actually comes true, Xiao-Song could not be with us in person. However, I am sure that his smile and friendship, along with his love of mathematics, will stay with us during the whole conference, as well as in the future to come.
Let me also say a few words about our Institute. As you may know, this Institute was founded in 1985 by Professor Shiing-shen Chern, and was called the Nankai Institute of Mathematics at that time. Since then, Professor Chern devoted almost all of his energy to the development of the Institute. Moreover, he established the unique style of the Institute among the mathematical centers in China. It was renamed as the Chern Institute of Mathematics in December of 2005, at the 20th Anniversary of the Institute.
All our faculties and staff are now trying hard to maintain the spirit of the Institute established by Professor Chern, and seeking for various ways to make contributions to the development of mathematics in China.
I would like to thank all of you, in particular Xiao-Song's family members, to come to the Chern Institute. My special thanks go to Zhenghan for all his endless effort to make this conference possible. It's really an honor for the Chern Institute to be able to host such a conference for Xiao-Song!
I wish all of you to have a very nice stay at Nankai and wish this conference being truly successful, for Topology and Physics are the two most favorable subjects, among many other things, for all of us, including Xiao-Song.
Thanks you very much!