从未存在却改变数学的布尔巴基

What does “化名 (huaming)” mean in Chinese?

This is the tale of “Nicolas Bourbaki,” one of the 20th century’s most influential mathematicians, who never existed. A group of French mathematicians published decades of work under a single 集体化名 (collective pseudonym). The key word is 化名 (huàmíng), an alias or assumed name, and what they pulled off was an elaborate 恶作剧 (èzuòjù), a prank.

化 (huà) means “to transform,” and it builds a useful cluster: 化身 (an avatar or incarnation), 假名 (a false name). For writers specifically, Chinese prefers 笔名 (pen name), the kind 周树人 used when he wrote as 鲁迅 (Lu Xun). Distinguish 化名 (any alias) from 笔名 (an author’s pen name) and you’ve got a precise C1 pair.