Chinese-born scientists among Breakthrough Prize winners

SAN FRANCISCO - Nine scientists were recognized on Wednesday with a "Breakthrough Prize," a $3 million Silicon Valley-funded award meant to confer Oscars-style glamor and prestige on the basic sciences.

The prizes in physics, life sciences and mathematics went to six men and three women, including four researchers who shared two prizes and five who got the full reward to themselves.

Vincent Lafforgue, of France's National Center of Scientific Research, was warded the prize in mathematics for groundbreaking work in multiple areas.