This evening (local time), in Philadelphia, USA, the Fields Medal, known as the "Nobel Prize of Mathematics," was awarded with the eyes of the global mathematics community upon it, opening a historic new chapter. This year's honor went to four recipients: Wei Deng (37), John Pardon, Jacob Zimmerman, and Hong Wang (35, female), who became the first awardee of Chinese nationality in the medal's history. In particular, the awards to Hong Wang and Wei Deng, who solved century-old mathematical problems exceeding 100 years in their thirties, are heralding a seismic shift that will reshape the landscape of mathematical research worldwide.
The list of awardees, made known through reporting by the New York Times, has itself made a mark in the history of world mathematics. Particularly, Hong Wang, a 35-year-old female mathematician, and Wei Deng, 37, have achieved the distinction of being the first recipients of Chinese nationality to win the Fields Medal, impressing upon the world that China's mathematical research capabilities have reached the highest level globally. As of July 24, 2026, the news of their historic awards is receiving intense attention from the global mathematics community and major media outlets, with particular emphasis placed on the significance of being China's first awardees.
The achievements of the two Chinese awardees are evaluated as monumental accomplishments in breaking through mankind's intellectual challenges. Hong Wang perfectly proved the "Kakeya conjecture," a 108-year-old problem in geometry, putting an end to a long-unsolved difficult question. Wei Deng also successfully penetrated the core of "Hilbert's Sixth Problem," one of the 23 unsolved problems presented by David Hilbert in 1900 and one that has frustrated countless mathematicians for 126 years, presenting new insights to the mathematics community. Both demonstrated their genius by solving problems that tested human intellect for over a century in their thirties, each in their respective fields.
Of notable interest is the fascinating connection that Hong Wang and Wei Deng are both alumni of the Class of 2007 from Peking University. The simultaneous acquisition of the Fields Medal, the most prestigious mathematical award in the world, by two alumni at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) held in Philadelphia transcends mere individual honor, serving as powerful evidence that China's basic science education system is capable of cultivating talent of the highest level in the world. Expectations are growing that not only Peking University, their alma mater, but throughout China, investments in mathematical research will expand further, accompanied by pride in this achievement.