Photo: National Science Foundation / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Shing-Tung Yau is a towering figure whose influence reaches far beyond pure mathematics. His proof of the Calabi conjecture gave us Calabi-Yau manifolds, the very geometric shapes that string theorists believe describe the hidden dimensions of our universe, which is a staggering bridge between abstract math and fundamental physics. Beyond the Fields Medal and Wolf Prize, I find his role as a mentor and institution-builder remarkable; he has nurtured generations of mathematicians across the United States and China. He is the rare scholar whose name became attached to objects that physicists invoke daily, a sign of just how deep and lasting his ideas have proven to be.
Overview
Shing-Tung Yau (born April 4, 1949, in Shantou, China) is a Chinese-American mathematician and professor. He won the Fields Medal in 1982 for his work in differential geometry, including the proof of the Calabi conjecture, which gave rise to the Calabi-Yau manifolds central to string theory. A long-time professor at Harvard University, he has received numerous honors, among them the National Medal of Science and the Wolf Prize in Mathematics.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Shing-Tung Yau
- Name (Japanese)
- シン＝トゥン・ヤウ
- Reading
- しん＝とぅん・やう
- Born
- April 4, 1949 (age 77)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Ox
- Origin
- Shantou, China
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Mathematician / Professor / Scientist / University Lecturer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of California, Berkeley
Awards & achievements
- 1981 Veblen Prize
- 1982 Fields Medal
- 1982 Guggenheim Fellowship
- 1984 MacArthur Fellowship
- 1991 Humboldt Prize
- 1997 National Medal of Science
- 2010 Wolf Prize in Mathematics
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Mathematician — see all → · Professor — see all →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.