Wang Hong of New York University and France’s Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques has become the first Chinese-born woman to receive the Fields Medal, one of the world’s most distinguished honors in mathematics. Her achievement comes as a second Chinese mathematician, Yu Deng, also won the award this year at the International Congress of Mathematicians held in Philadelphia on Thursday. This marks the first time two scholars from China have simultaneously received the medal.
The Fields Medal, awarded every four years to between two and four mathematicians under age 40, recognizes both established accomplishment and future potential. Originally from Guilin City, Wang gained international recognition after resolving the Kakeya conjecture in three dimensions, a mathematical problem that had remained unsolved for over a century. Her work, conducted in collaboration with Joshua Zahl of the University of British Columbia, has opened pathways for advances in harmonic analysis, partial differential equations, and geometric measure theory. Yu Deng, from Shenzhen, received recognition for his research on establishing mathematical frameworks to explain physical laws from fundamental principles.
The 2026 awards represent a historic milestone for women in mathematics, with Wang becoming only the third woman ever to receive the prize in its 90-year history. The International Mathematical Union emphasized the significance of increasing female representation at the highest levels of mathematical achievement. The other two medalists announced were John Pardon of the United States, recognized for work in topology and geometry, and Jacob Tsimerman of Canada, praised for extending logical frameworks into algebraic geometry.
Both Chinese medalists pursued higher education internationally, with Wang completing her doctorate at MIT following postgraduate study in France, while Deng transferred to MIT and earned a doctorate from Princeton University after beginning his studies at Peking University. Their achievements have sparked discussion within China about the country’s research capabilities and talent retention, with some observers noting the tendency of top scholars to continue their careers abroad. However, China has undertaken initiatives in recent years aimed at attracting scientific talent, including programs designed to recruit both foreign experts and overseas Chinese researchers.
Each Fields Medalist receives a gold medal bearing the image of ancient mathematician Archimedes and a monetary award of 15,000 Canadian dollars. The International Mathematical Union also announced recipients of other major awards, including the Chern Medal and the Abacus Medal.
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