Chen Ning Yang, a prominent physicist and Nobel laureate, has passed away at the age of 103, as reported by Chinese state media. An obituary from CCTV indicated that the cause of death was illness.
Yang, along with fellow theoretical physicist Lee Tsung-Dao, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957 for their research on parity laws, which contributed to significant discoveries concerning elementary particles. Additionally, Yang served as a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing and held the position of honorary dean at the Institute for Advanced Study at the same institution.
Born in 1922 in Anhui province, China, Yang was the eldest of five siblings and spent his formative years on the Tsinghua University campus, where his father was a mathematics professor. At a young age, he expressed a desire to win a Nobel Prize, a goal he achieved at 35 through his collaborative work with Lee.
Yang earned his undergraduate degree in 1942 from National Southwest Associated University in Kunming and later obtained a master’s degree from Tsinghua University. Following the Sino-Japanese War, he went to the United States on a fellowship from Tsinghua, studying at the University of Chicago under the guidance of renowned physicist Enrico Fermi.
Throughout his extensive career, Yang explored various areas of physics, while showing a particular interest in statistical mechanics and symmetry principles. His contributions were recognized with several accolades, including the Albert Einstein Commemorative Award in 1957 and an honorary doctorate from Princeton University in 1958.
Yang had three children with his first wife, Chih Li Tu, whom he married in 1950. After Tu’s passing in 2003, Yang married Weng Fan, over 50 years his junior, whom he met when she was a student at a physics seminar.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxrzzk02plo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss