Shing-Tung Yau

About the Author

Shing-Tung Yau is a renowned mathematician whose groundbreaking contributions have reshaped our understanding of geometry and the universe's fundamental structures. Born in Guangdong, China, in 1949, Yau overcame early hardships to become one of the world's most influential scientists, earning the Fields Medal in 1982 for his work on partial differential equations and the Calabi-Yau manifolds that bear his name. As a professor at Harvard University and Tsinghua University, he has mentored generations of mathematicians while authoring influential texts and exploring the intersections of mathematics, physics, and philosophy. In his memoir 'Shape of a Life: One Mathematician's Search for the Universe's Hidden Geometry,' Yau reflects on his personal journey, from childhood curiosity to pioneering discoveries that underpin string theory and modern cosmology, offering readers an intimate glimpse into the mind of a genius driven by an unquenchable thirst for truth.