Summary of Key Points
On July 23, 2026, the International Congress of Mathematicians (held every four years) announced the Fields Medal at Philadelphia—the Nobel Prize in mathematics, awarded only to scholars under the age of 40. For the first time, two Chinese mathematicians—Deng Yu (in the field of partial differential equations) and Wang Hong (in harmonic analysis and geometric measure theory)—were honored alongside John Paden from the United States and Jacob Zimerman from Canada, making a total of four laureates. Yang Bowen, a postdoctoral fellow from Harvard University who was at the event, shared his experiences, his views on the achievements of these two mathematicians, the impact of their undergraduate education, the current rise of the Chinese mathematical community, and some advice for young scholars.
Detailed Explanation
1. A Historic Moment: The First Time Two Chinese Scholars Have Won the Fields Medal
How important is the Fields Medal? It can be compared to the “Oscar for lifetime achievements” in mathematics, but it is only awarded to young people every four years, with a maximum of four recipients each time. Previous winners from China include Terence Tao (Australian citizenship) and Shing-Tung Yau (American citizenship). This year’s award to Deng Yu and Wang Hong marks the first time Chinese scholars have won the medal, and they were even classmates, making it a historic breakthrough.
What was the atmosphere like at the ceremony? Yang Bowen described a long queue forming outside the venue by 9 a.m., with security checks taking half an hour. The applause during the award ceremony was particularly enthusiastic—even though the list of winners had been leaked beforehand. Interestingly, American laureate Paden speaks Chinese and is a fan of Chinese culture; he even mentioned his love for the language in his video, which was a pleasant surprise.
2. The Magnitude of Their Achievements
Deng Yu and Wang Hong solved two classic, challenging problems in mathematics:
- Wang Hong tackled the Three-Dimensional Valley Problem, which has puzzled the mathematical community for over a century. Simply put, it asks whether it is possible to find the shortest curve in three-dimensional space that can rotate in all directions (similar to using a stick to sweep through all angles).
- Deng Yu made significant progress on Hilbert’s Sixth Problem—one of the most difficult problems posed by mathematician David Hilbert in the 20th century. None of Hilbert’s 23 problems have been completely solved, and Deng Yu’s work has advanced research in this area significantly.
Although Yang Bowen is an expert in mathematical physics, he described their achievements as being at the highest level of technical difficulty. As for their historical significance, it will depend on whether future researchers build upon their findings; many Fields Medal-winning theories become more valuable over time.
3. Classmates from Peking University: Coincidence or the Power of Undergraduate Education?
It is a coincidence that both Deng Yu and Wang Hong are alumni of the 2007 class at Peking University’s School of Mathematics. Yang Bowen noted that the Fields Medal requires winners to be under 40 years old, so it’s not surprising that they were from the same year. However, the foundation laid in their undergraduate education (rigorous logic and solid foundations) played a crucial role in their success.
He also emphasized that mathematical research is like a long-distance race, requiring continuous effort and opportunity. Undergraduate education is just the beginning; one must persevere and rely on luck to achieve great things.
4. The Rise of the Chinese Mathematical Community
Terence Tao described this as “a decades-long expectation,” but Yang Bowen believes that the rise of Chinese mathematicians has already begun. He mentioned that in 2018, when he was choosing a supervisor, he saw many outstanding Chinese scholars at the international forefront. In the past five years, many talented Chinese researchers have returned to China to teach, and their doctoral students are likely to make significant contributions in the future.
The award of the Fields Medal to these two scholars is just a symbolic event; more Chinese scholars trained in China will achieve top-tier results in the future, as the “seeds” for success have already been sown.
5. Advice for Young Scholars
Yang Bowen shared his own struggles during his doctoral studies, when he was anxious about not producing any research and worrying about financially supporting his family. He realized that every moment of life belongs to the present, and one should do what makes them most comfortable without worrying about how others will judge them in the future.
His advice to Chinese students is to be more “self-indulgent” and pursue their passions. If you are interested in a particular area of mathematics, dive into it without worrying about its prospects or whether it’s a waste of time. Following your interests at a young age is more important than anything else.
In Conclusion
The awarding of the Fields Medal to these two Chinese scholars is not only a personal accomplishment but also a testament to China’s strength in mathematics education and research. In the future, we will see more “Chinese faces” on the highest stages of the mathematical community.