(Yicai Global) Dec. 8 -- Renowned mathematician Laurent Lafforgue, the 2002 Fields Medal winner and a professor at France’s Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, made his first appearance at Huawei Technologies France two days ago, the Chinese telecoms equipment giant said. He joined the firm in September.

Lafforgue said in a video Huawei released yesterday that joining the company was a journey to explore a new world. The 55-year-old Frenchman, whose cooperation with Huawei researchers began in 2017, is currently involved in developing the topos theory and its potential applications.

The topos theory is part of the development of the general theory of deep neuron networks. It can be used to serve the computer architecture for artificial intelligence, develop automated systems to assist mathematicians in their work, and even drive the development of new mathematical theories, Lafforgue said. But he added that he did not expect to achieve all of this in the initial stage at Huawei.

The mathematician found that Huawei had strategic thinking that was difficult to achieve in academic circles. The Shenzhen-based company focuses on dimensions of products, dimensions of technology and related theoretical dimensions that can support technological development, Lafforgue said. These are also three dimensions for predicting things, which are cross-domain and influence each other, he noted.

Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said in a previous interview that 20 percent to 30 percent of the company’s USD15 billion to USD20 billion annual research and development expenditure went on basic research.

Ren said Huawei has a large number of mathematicians, physicists, and chemists, more than 6,000 experts specializing in basic research, and over 60,000 engineers. They have built a R&D system that enables the firm to quickly catch up with the progress of humanity and seize the more important high ground, he added.

Editor: Peter Thomas