Inside the mind of math genius

In mid-October, the literary scene at the Frankfurt Book Fair is abuzz with discussion about Hungarian author Laszlo Krasznahorkai, winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature. Amid the global literary excitement, attention also turns to one of China's leading publishing conglomerates, Phoenix Publishing & Media Group. At its booth, editors and rights agents are focused on a notable nonfiction title: The Shape of a Life: One Mathematician's Search for the Universe's Hidden Geometry, the autobiography of Shing-Tung Yau, the Fields Medal — winning mathematician. Yau is celebrated as the first Chinese recipient of the Fields Medal, widely considered the highest honor in mathematics.

The English edition of The Shape of a Life is published by Yale University Press, and the Chinese edition was released by Yilin Press in 2021, followed by a youth edition in 2022. To date, the two versions of the Chinese edition have sold over 150,000 copies.

Written in candid and heartfelt prose, the book traces Yau's journey from a humble boy in rural China to a world-renowned scholar with extraordinary academic achievements. Despite numerous offers from abroad, he chose to return to China to focus on nurturing young Chinese mathematical talent.

The book showcases his relentless dedication to scholarship and his deep-seated patriotism. The Chinese edition also includes Yau's poetry and essays on mathematics education, displaying his profound humanistic spirit and sense of responsibility.

In a video message played at a Frankfurt Book Fair event, Yau shared insights into the three-year process of writing the book with co-author Steve Nadis, a noted science writer. He said it was essential for him to narrate his life story in his own voice.

Honors and fame, he said, were never the core of his ambition. "Doing solid scholarly work remains the most important; all other matters are secondary," he emphasized.

He notes that some mathematical discussions in the book may be challenging for readers to fully grasp. However, "sometimes, even if you don't fully understand something, you can still appreciate its style," he says.

He encourages readers to "advance from basics to the frontier, from depth to achievement. To reach for the stars, one must be grounded and start from the roots, nurturing growth along the way".

Wu Lizhong, vice-president of Yilin Press, says that the publishing house has a long-standing tradition of publishing biographies of renowned figures from both China and abroad. He describes The Shape of a Life as "a major biography for our press in recent years, and we look forward to the book shining brightly on the international stage."

German sinologist Eva Muller, known for her acclaimed German translation of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, recently completed the translation of Can Xue's The World of Passion, which is scheduled for release next fall.

She says that after reading the autobiography, she feels a deep connection between Yau as a mathematician and herself as a translator, as both use tools to convey ideas and understanding.

"Shing-Tung Yau is one of the most intelligent scholars of our time, and mathematics is his tool for interpreting the world," she says, hoping that the book will soon reach German readers.

As a fundamental tool in scientific research, mathematics plays a crucial role in fields like artificial intelligence, big data analysis and aerospace. The mindset and achievements of mathematicians can inspire readers worldwide.

Since its publication, the book has been embraced by scholars, students and science enthusiasts.

Academician Yang Le of the Chinese Academy of Sciences praises the book as "very inspiring and enlightening", while Peng Gang, vice-president of Tsinghua University, notes that the scientific spirit and patriotism reflected in Yau's autobiography are particularly significant in today's society.

The book has won several awards, including the Biography Society of China's Sixth Excellent Biography Award, and the Third Jiangsu Province News Publishing Government Award for Books.