On the evening of June 11, the Finals of the 14th S. -T. Yau College Student Mathematics Contest concluded successfully. After a day and a half of competition, 105 participants from Tsinghua University, Peking University, the University of Science and Technology of China, Fudan University, and other universities won a total of 71 awards. Tsinghua University students secured 28 awards, including 1 Gold Medal of Individual All-round Award, 2 Gold Medals of Individual Award, and 1 Silver Medal of Team Award.

Hongwei Wang, Shing-Tung Yau, and Caucher Birkar present awards to Yiran Lin

Students from Qiuzhen College, Tsinghua University achieved outstanding results at the Contest: 17 students won 22 Individual Awards, 1 Gold Medal of Individual All-round Award, 1 Silver Medal of Team Award, and 2 Bronze Medals of Team Award. Yiran Lin, a student from Qiuzhen College, won three gold medals: the Shing-Tung Yau Award Gold Medal, the Loo-Keng Hua Award Gold Medal, and the Shiing-Shen Chern Award Gold Medal.

Presentation of the Gold Medal of Team Award

Peking University contestants won 27 awards, including the Gold Medal of Team Award, 2 Silver Medals of Individual All-round Award, and 2 Gold Medals of Individual Award in Probability & Statistics and Algebra, Number Theory & Combinatorics. Contestants from the University of Science and Technology of China won 8 awards, including the Gold Medal of Individual Award in Applied Mathematics & Computational Mathematics, 2 Bronze Medals of Individual All-round Award, and 1 Silver Medal of and 1 Bronze Medal of Team Award. Contestants from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences won 1 Bronze Medal of Individual Award and 1 Bronze Medal of Team Award. Fudan University contestants won 4 Bronze Medals of Individual Award, while contestants from Nankai University and Nanjing University each won 1 Bronze Medal of Individual Award.

The award ceremony was attended by distinguished scholars, including Prof. Shing-Tung Yau, Chair Professor of Tsinghua University and Chair of the Contest, Prof. Hongwei Wang, Vice President of Tsinghua University, Prof. Nanhua Xi, Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Vice President of ShanghaiTech University, Prof. Caucher Birkar, Fields Medalist and professor at Tsinghua University, Prof. Wilfried Schmid, member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Prof. Juncheng Wei, member of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada, Prof. Mu-Tao Wang, member of Academia Sinica, and Sergio Cecotti, researcher at Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications. In addition, experts, professors, participating contestants, and students from sister universities and research institutions, as well as representatives from various sectors, totaling more than 250 people, witnessed this glorious moment.

Shing-Tung Yau gives a speech

Prof. Shing-Tung Yau expressed his sincere gratitude to the experts and scholars from around the world. He stated that the original intention of establishing the Contest was to train college students in mathematics and improve the quality of university teaching. He was pleased to see more young students performing exceptionally well in the Contest, achieving success in both basic and applied sciences. He hoped that the contestants would truly embark on research in the future, forge new paths and make significant contributions to mathematics.

He emphasized the importance of basic science, noting that technology is the foundation of a nation’s strength, and the development of technology is inseparable from basic science, which cannot exist without mathematics. He reviewed the development of mathematics in China since 1979, acknowledging the growth of many mathematicians but stressing that the number of homegrown mathematicians is still insufficient. He pointed out that while more overseas students have chosen to return to China since 2000, China still needs to focus on cultivating its own students and nurturing scholars who can deeply engage in academic pursuits.

He believed that only true masters can teach outstanding students and was delighted to see many top scholars from around the world willing to work in China long-term. He hoped that the first International Congress of Basic Science, to be held in July, would attract more of the world’s most capable scholars to China, allowing young students to access world-class knowledge and transform China’s academic atmosphere. He anticipated that Chinese scholars would make significant contributions in the next five years, take an important step in advancing Chinese mathematics, and achieve the goal of leading the world in basic science within a decade.

Hongwei Wang gives a speech

Vice President Hongwei Wang highly praised the Contest, stating that it has not only selected and cultivated a large number of promising mathematical talents but also had a broad and positive impact on mathematics education in Chinese universities. He pointed out that Tsinghua University has always attached great importance to the development of basic science. The Yau Mathematical Sciences Center, the Department of Mathematical Sciences, Qiuzhen College, and Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications have made it their mission to cultivate the next generation of academic leaders in mathematics, becoming high-level bases for international mathematical talent development and academic research, and an important foundation for Tsinghua University’s goal of building a world-class university. He thanked Prof. Shing-Tung Yau for his relentless efforts in mentoring young talents and making outstanding contributions to talent cultivation at Tsinghua University and China’s development of mathematics.

Nanhua Xi gives a speech

Nanhua Xi, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, commented that the S. -T. Yau College Student Mathematics Contest has profoundly influenced China’s development of mathematics, bringing new vitality and culture to Chinese mathematics and guiding the correct direction of mathematical science development. He believed that the understanding and recognition of mathematics should not be limited to solving problems, participating in competitions, publishing papers, or addressing issues left by predecessors. It should also include a profound understanding of the world, contributing unique insights to mathematics and leaving a glorious mark of Chinese scholars.

Caucher Birkar gives a speech

Prof. Caucher Birkar, who taught graduate courses at the University of Cambridge for 15 years, where few undergraduates participated, was delighted to see some undergraduate students at Tsinghua University engaging in high-level courses. He believed that participating in high-level research and competitions is beneficial for students’ future personal development, helping them connect with like-minded peers. He hoped that these young mathematical talents would aim to become world-class mathematicians and firmly choose mathematics.

Mu-Tao Wang gives a speech

Prof. Mu-Tao Wang, who served as a judge again for the Contest after four years, was deeply impressed by the contestants’ excellent performance. He stated that the experience of the Contest helps students master solid foundational skills, but scientific research often involves taking one step forward and two steps back, or even circling back to the starting point. He encouraged students not to fear mistakes or failures when facing uncertainty and challenges in the future, as these are essential parts of the research process.

Sergio Cecotti gives a speech

Prof. Sergio Cecotti noted that the Contest’s questions were generally challenging, requiring high problem-solving skills. He was surprised by the problem-solving approaches of Chinese students, who completed the tasks beyond expectations in a short time. He looked forward to more physics students joining the Contest in the future.

 

Yiran Lin, a student from Qiuzhen College, Tsinghua University, and the Gold Medal winner of Shing-Tung Yau Award, Loo-Keng Hua Award, and Shiing-Shen Chern Award, stood on the Contest’s award stage for the second time. He thanked the Contest for providing a platform for students who love mathematics to learn, discuss, and compete, and broadening their horizons. He also expressed gratitude to the teachers at Qiuzhen College for their hard work and companionship. He hoped that Qiuzhen students would strengthen their mathematical foundations, flexibly use mathematical tools, understand cutting-edge mathematical problems, and strive to become the backbone of China’s basic science.

 

Jisheng Mu, a student from School of Physics, Peking University, participated in the Contest for the first time, and won the Gold Medal of Hermann Weyl Award. He thanked the Contest for providing an opportunity to exchange ideas with top mathematical physicists and for helping him recognize his shortcomings. “There is no royal road to science.” Quoting a classic, he encouraged himself and all contestants to face difficulties bravely, continue moving forward, and work harder.

 

Yue Wu, the Gold Medal winner of the Chia-Chiao Lin Award, from the University of Science and Technology of China, stated that the Contest encourages contestants to go beyond undergraduate textbook knowledge. It broadens their mathematical horizons and foster their ability to explore boldly. Through interactive discussions with judges, students also improved important research skills such as English communication and expression.

 

The Contest was hosted by the Yau Mathematical Sciences Center, Tsinghua University. Since its official launch in February, over 2,800 students from 488 universities, including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, the University of Science and Technology of China, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Taiwan University, registered for the individual competition. Fifty-six teams registered for the team competition, covering 29 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau regions.

 

The Contest included semi-final written exams and final interviews. The questions and syllabus were designed by Prof. Shing-Tung Yau and leading mathematicians from around the world, with the scope and difficulty comparable to the qualifying exams for mathematics Ph.D. students at renowned international universities. This year’s semi-finals were organized by the Center of Mathematical Sciences, Zhejiang University, with written exams conducted simultaneously at 20 university exam centers across the country, and 48 experts and scholars participated in the grading.

 

Since its inception in 2010, the S. -T. Yau College Student Mathematics Contest has gradually formed a unique international brand, becoming an important avenue for discovering and selecting outstanding graduate students. Over the past 14 years, more than 20,000 students from across the country have participated, with over 800 winning awards. A significant portion of these students have gone on to study at top universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Harvard University, Yale University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Some early contestants have taken positions at Harvard University, Princeton University, and the University of Paris-Sud, continuing their in-depth research in mathematics. Others have returned to China after completing their studies, joining the ranks of basic science research in China.