Yang-Hui He

About

Professor Yang-Hui He is a mathematical physicist working on the interface between geometry, number theory and string theory. He has been among the first to explore applications of machine learning in pure mathematical and theoretical physics in 2017, developing algorithms to identify structures in Calabi–Yau manifolds and gauge theories. He is a pioneer of the emergent field of “AI mathematics” (interview by Science [Vol 365, July, 2019] and by New Scientist [Dec 9 Issue, 2019]).

Born in China (Anhui) and schooled in Australia (Melbourne and Sydney), Yang did his undergraduate at Princeton University (Highest Honours, Phi-Beta-Kappa, Shenstone Prize and Kusaka Prize) and then obtained a Masters in Mathematics (Tripos) at the University of Cambridge, with Distinction. He went on to receive his PhD in mathematical physics from MIT (MIT President’s award for outstanding thesis). Yang continued with postdoctoral work in the University of Pennsylvania before joining University of Oxford as the FitzJames Fellow in Mathematics and then the UK STFC Advanced Fellow in theoretical physics.

He is currently Fellow at the London Institute, Royal Institution. He concurrently holds a Professorship of Mathematics at City St George’s, University of London, the Chang-Jiang Chair Professorship at NanKai University, China and remains a Tutor and Lecturer at Merton College, Oxford. Authoring more than 200 journal papers and several books,

A keen science communicator, Yang’s public talks have included a Friday Evening Discourse at the Royal Institution (established by Michael Faraday in 1825) and the DIAS Statutory Public Lecture (established by Erwin Schroedinger and Eamon de Valera in 1940). He also gives regular podcasts and conducts frequent interviews, to share his passion for mathematics with a general audience. Outside mathematics, Yang is passionate amateur musician, having played for the Princeton University Orchestra and sung tenor for the choirs of St. Katherine’s College, Cambridge and Merton College, Oxford. He considers himself a groupie to friends who are professional musicians and composers.