China's newly minted Fields medalist Wang Hong urged young researchers to keep thinking, seek fresh perspectives through collaboration, and never lose faith that breakthroughs will come with time while reflecting on her journey to mathematics.
At the opening ceremony of the International Congress of Mathematicians in Philadelphia on Thursday, Chinese mathematician Wang Hong was awarded the Fields Medal which is often described as the Nobel Prize of Mathematics. She becomes only the third woman to receive the prestigious honor since the prize was first established in 1936.
Wang got her bachelor's at Peking University, a master's degree from Paris-Saclay University and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Since 2025, she has been a faculty member at the Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies (IHES) in France. In February 2025, together with her collaborator, she solved the three-dimensional Kakeya conjecture, a problem that had baffled mathematicians for over a century.
Wang has said that her passion for mathematics began in early childhood. Yet when she first entered Peking University, she was enrolled in the School of Earth and Space Sciences. It was only after passing a competitive transfer examination that she was able to realize her dream of joining the School of Mathematical Sciences.
"My grades were not good enough to enter math. And they also let me know that I had the opportunity of taking the exam and transfer to school for mathematics and that is why I entered Peking University with a decision of transferring to mathematics," Wang said.
Wang shared her personal approach to dealing with difficult research periods.
"I also draw a lot of pictures when I think about problems or sometimes even draw some random pictures to help me just think through the structure of the problem," she said.
Wang said her academic journey introduced her to outstanding classmates, mentors and collaborators and gave her a profound appreciation for the value of international scientific cooperation.
"When progress is very slow, it's very easy to feel discouraged. I usually try to do some exercises regularly and this will help me forget and then feel refreshed to start over. Also, sometimes it's helpful to talk with collaborators because they might provide a different point of view," she said.
"When things don't work out immediately, just keep thinking and working hard with the hope that eventually one day it might work," she added.
The Fields Medal is a top international mathematics prize awarded every four years to two to four young researchers under the age of 40 in recognition of their outstanding mathematical achievements in existing work and their promise of future achievement.
Chinese Fields medalist credits success to persistence, collaboration
