Chinese Mathematicians Hong Wang and Yu Deng Win Fields Medal

The 2026 Fields Medal has been awarded to four mathematicians, including Hong Wang and Yu Deng, the first two Chinese citizens to win the prestigious prize. Source: CNN Wang, 35, a professor at New York University and IHES, was recognized for her solution to the three-dimensional Kakeya conjecture, a problem open since 1917. Source: Infobae Deng, 37, a professor at the University of Chicago, was honored for rigorously deriving the Boltzmann equation from Newton's laws, solving a component of Hilbert's sixth problem. Source: Infobae

The Path to the Prize

Wang's proof, over a hundred pages, resolved a problem that started as a geometric puzzle but became central to harmonic analysis. Source: ABC Deng's work built a mathematical bridge between microscopic particle physics and macroscopic fluid equations, a challenge that had resisted 125 years of attempts. Source: Infobae

China's Celebration

Chinese state media and social networks celebrated the achievement, with topics trending on Weibo. Source: CNN Wang and Deng both studied at Peking University but developed their careers abroad. Source: CNN Wang urged perseverance to younger mathematicians, stating that even if results don't come, 'conocer las razones de un fracaso también puede resultar positivo.' Source: Infobae Deng highlighted the growing importance of international cooperation and predicted AI will play a significant role in future mathematics.