Yitang Zhang
Zhang Yitang | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Known for | Work with twin primes[2] |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Thesis | The Jacobian Conjecture And The Degree Of Field Extension (1992) |
| Doctoral advisor | Tzuong-Tsieng Moh[1] |
Zhang "Tom" Yitang (western form: Yitang Zhang, in Chinese: 张益唐, Zhāng Yìtáng)[3] is a Chinese mathematician working in the area of number theory. On April 17, 2013, Zhang announced a proof that there are infinitely many prime gaps of size at most 70 million. The result resolves a weak form of the twin prime conjecture. The twin prime conjecture asserts that there are infinitely many pairs of prime numbers with a gap of size 2.[4][5] Zhang's paper was accepted by Annals of Mathematics in early May 2013.[6] The proof was verified by Professor Henryk Iwaniec, a famous number theorist at Rutgers.[7]
Education
Zhang obtained his B.S. degree and M.Sc. degree from the math department of Peking University in 1982 and 1986 and Ph.D. degree at Purdue University in 1991. He entered Peking University in 1978. From 1982 to 1985, he worked with Professor Pan Chengbiao, a famous number theorist, as a master student. Then, he was recommended by Ding Shisun, then-president of Peking University and Deng D.G., then-chair of the math department.[7] Zhang arrived at Purdue in January 1985.
Career
Zhang's Ph.D. work was on Jacobian conjecture. He originally thought he solved the problem until a lemma he cited from his advisor--Tzuong-Tsieng Moh's pervious paper was found to be [citation needed] After graduation, his advisor didn't help much in his job search. Professor Tzuong-Tsieng Moh recalled it as "Sometimes I regreted not fixing him a job" and "He never came back to me requesting recommendation letters"[7] He is currently a lecturer at the University of New Hampshire; he worked for several years as an accountant and in a Subway sandwich shop before working as a lecturer.[2]
References
- ^ Yitang Zhang at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
- ^ a b Klarreich, Erica (May 20, 2013). "Unknown Mathematician Proves Elusive Property of Prime Numbers". Wired. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
- ^ "UNH Mathematician's Proof Is Breakthrough Toward Centuries-Old Problem". University of New Hampshire. May 1, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
- ^ McKee, Maggie (May 14, 2013). "First proof that infinitely many prime numbers come in pairs". Nature. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Chang, Kenneth (May 20, 2013). "Solving a Riddle of Primes". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Zhang, Yitang. "Bounded gaps between primes" (PDF). Annals of Mathematics. Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ a b c Moh, Tzuong-Tsieng. "Zhang, Yitang's life at Purdue (Jan. 1985-Dec, 1991)" (PDF). Retrieved May 24, 2013.