PHILADELPHIA, July 23 — Two mathematicians from China have become the first Chinese-born recipients of the Fields Medal, the discipline’s highest honor, at the opening ceremony of the 2026 International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) here on Thursday.
Deng Yu and Wang Hong were named among four laureates announced by the International Mathematical Union (IMU) at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The other two winners are John Pardon of the United States and Jacob Tsimerman of Canada.
Deng received the medal for his work in partial differential equations (PDEs), specifically for establishing a rigorous mathematical path from microscopic particle systems to the macroscopic Boltzmann equation, a key step in resolving a formulation of Hilbert’s sixth problem. Wang was recognized for her contributions to harmonic analysis and geometric measure theory, including the solution of the century-old three-dimensional Kakeya conjecture.
“This is a great honor to have my name listed after all those great mathematicians I’ve always admired,” Deng told reporters after the ceremony. Wang, meanwhile, recalled learning as a high school student that Terence Tao had won the prize. “I was quite excited then. So I’m also excited today,” she said.
Both laureates completed their undergraduate studies at Peking University. Deng later transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University; he is now a professor at the University of Chicago. Wang received a master’s degree from Paris-Saclay University and a Ph.D. from MIT, and currently holds positions at the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in France and the Courant Institute at New York University.
Efim Zelmanov, himself a Fields Medal laureate, said the achievement reflects China’s growing role in mathematics, noting that both winners received their foundational education in China.
The Fields Medal is awarded every four years to mathematicians under the age of 40 in recognition of outstanding achievements and future promise. It is widely regarded as the equivalent of a Nobel Prize in mathematics.