South Korean media: China has made significant progress in mathematics

According to a July 24 report by South Korea's JoongAng Daily (Japanese edition): Two young Chinese mathematicians have won the Fields Medal—the first from China who completed their undergraduate studies at a Chinese university. The Fields Medal is often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of mathematics."

The International Mathematical Union (IMU) announced on the 23rd local time that four mathematicians—Professor Dun Yu from the University of Chicago (37 years old), Professor Wang Hong from New York University (35 years old), Professor Jacob Zimmerman from the University of Toronto (38 years old), and Professor John Paden from Stony Brook University, State University of New York (37 years old)—would be awarded this year's Fields Medal during the opening ceremony of the 2026 International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) in Philadelphia, USA.

Previously, Chinese mathematicians Shing-Tung Yau (1982) and Terence Tao (2006) had received the Fields Medal. However, this marks the first time in the 90-year history of the Fields Medal that a researcher with Chinese nationality and who completed their undergraduate education in mainland China has been honored. This milestone reflects China’s notable advancement in mathematics, a field considered foundational in academic research.

Professor Wang Hong was recognized for proving the "3D Kakeya Conjecture," a problem that puzzled mathematicians for over a century. Proposed by a Japanese mathematician in 1917, the conjecture asks: “What is the smallest possible space required to rotate a needle through 360 degrees within a finite area?” Professor Wang, together with her collaborator Professor Joshua Zahl, developed an original solution, becoming the third woman in history to receive the Fields Medal.

Professor Dun Yu won the award for breakthroughs in the core of the sixth problem among the 23 problems posed by German mathematician David Hilbert in 1900. Using mathematical methods, he demonstrated how the microscopic motion of countless particles leads to macroscopic laws governing fluid dynamics—such as weather forecasting and aircraft turbulence.

Both awardees entered Peking University's Department of Mathematics in 2007. At age 16, Professor Wang scored exceptionally well on China's National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao), gaining admission to Peking University. Initially majoring in Earth and Space Sciences, he later switched to mathematics. Professor Dun is a prodigy who displayed exceptional talent in Go and mathematics from a young age; at just 17, he even won a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

The Fields Medal is the most prestigious award in mathematics, presented every four years to outstanding mathematicians under the age of 40. The only previous recipient from South Korea was Professor June Huh from Princeton University, who won in 2022.

Chinese Mathematician Wins Fields Medal

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871602691908619/

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