Chinese mathematicians Wang Hong and Deng Yu win Fields Medal for first time

Chinese mathematicians Hong Wang and Yu Deng have become the first Chinese nationals to win the Fields Medal, the prestigious mathematics prize often likened to the Nobel. They were awarded alongside American John Pardon and Canadian Jacob Tsimerman at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Philadelphia. Source: BBC; CNN; SCMP; NPR

Wang, 35, a professor at NYU and France's Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, resolved the Kakeya conjecture in three dimensions, a problem posed in 1917 about the minimal area swept by a rotating needle. Source: BBC; NPR Deng, 37, a University of Chicago professor, made progress on Hilbert's Sixth Problem, deriving the behavior of gases from individual particle movements. Source: BBC; NPR Both completed undergraduate studies at Peking University. Source: SCMP

The wins sparked celebration in China, with social media trending and state media hailing a milestone in the country's scientific ambitions. Source: CNN However, both laureates currently work abroad, leading to discussions about talent retention. Source: CNN Notably, Wang is only the third woman to win the medal in its 90-year history. Source: NPR