Esteemed Fields Medal recipient, Professor Shing-Tung Yau, has graced the young mathematicians of the future with his presence at UNIST.
On January 11, the UNIST Department of Mathematical Sciences had the privilege of hosting a distinguished lecture, delivered by renowned mathematician, Professor Shing-Tung Yau, at the UNIST Library. Professor Yau, a recipient of the Fields Medal in 1982 for his groundbreaking contributions to Calabi-Yau varieties, engaged with students from the local science high schools for the gifted in South Gyeongsang Province, as well as UNIST students.
With an illustrious career that includes a professorship at Harvard University and his current position as chair professor at Tsinghua University, Professor Yau shared profound insights on his journey and research approach in a lecture, titled “The Shape of a Life.” His contributions to differential geometry have greatly influenced scientific disciplines, like astronomy and theoretical physics.
Participants of the special lecture took commemorative pictures with Professor Shing-Tung Yau. l Image Credit: Kyoungchae Kim
Challenging conventional wisdom, Professor Yau emphasized the significance of repetitive reflection learning over relying solely on intuitive principles in the realm of mathematics. Drawing from his personal experiences, Professor Yau encouraged students to fearlessly explore new frontiers, citing his own accomplishments in solving problems related to general relativity, positive numbers, and the mass theorem in physics. Furthermore, he stressed the utmost importance of proactive learning and self-driven training for high school students to create their own intellectual challenges.
In addition to the enlightening lecture, Professor Yau’s visit to UNIST was part of a technology exchange meeting, organized by the Department of Mathematical Sciences. This meeting, facilitated by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST), aims to foster collaboration opportunities between international experts and Korean researchers. The upcoming technology exchange meeting, centered around the themes of quantum field, string theory, and geometry, will span from January 10 to 12, 2024. Esteemed scholars such as Professor Richard Soen from the University of California, Professor Mu-Tao Wang from Columbia University, and Professor Sergei Gukov from Caltech will also be in attendance.
Professor Yau’s visit to UNIST provided an invaluable opportunity for aspiring young mathematicians to gain inspiration and insights from one of the most influential figures in the field. The event further solidified UNIST’s unwavering commitment to fostering excellence in mathematics education and research.
