Two Chinese mathematicians have been awarded the Fields Medal, widely regarded as the "Nobel Prize of mathematics", marking a historic milestone for the country's mathematical community.
Wang Hong and Deng Yu shared this year's award with American mathematician John Pardon and Canadian mathematician Jacob Tsimerman at the opening ceremony of the International Congress of Mathematicians in Philadelphia on Thursday.
The achievement marks the first time China has produced Fields Medal winners and the first time that two mathematicians who began their undergraduate studies at Peking University have received the honor in the same year.
Presented every four years by the International Mathematical Union, the Fields Medal recognizes mathematicians under the age of 40 for outstanding contributions to mathematics and is regarded as one of the discipline's highest honors.
Established in 1936, the prize is awarded to no more than four recipients each time.
