Mathematicians win top prize after solving century's-old problems
Two Chinese mathematicians, Hong Wang and Yu Deng, have been awarded the Fields Medal for solving century-old mathematical problems. This marks a historic achievement for China, as Wang becomes only the third woman to receive the prestigious honor.
Why it matters
The Fields Medal is the highest honor in mathematics, and this win highlights the growing influence and academic success of Chinese researchers on the global stage.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mathematicians Hong Wang and Yu Deng are China's first Fields Medal recipients
Two Chinese academics have won the world's top prize for mathematics for the first time, according to state media.
Chinese mathematicians Hong Wang and Yu Deng won alongside John Pardon from the US and Jacon Tsimerman from Canada. They each won 15,000 Canadian dollars ($10,500; £8,000).
Both won for solving problems that have baffled mathematicians for more than a century. And 35-year-old Wang, who teaches in the US and France, is only the third woman to receive the honour.
The Fields Medal, regarded as the Nobel prize equivalent for mathematics, was handed out on Thursday in the US as human computations are increasingly challenged by AI.
The achievement has made huge waves on Chinese social media.
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