Chinese mathematician Wan Xun has proven the Kakeya conjecture in one-dimensional space, which had remained unsolved for over 100 years. This significant scientific achievement ensures that the mathematician becomes one of the most powerful and recognized female mathematicians in the world.
The Kakeya conjecture was developed in 1917 by Japanese mathematician Soiti Kakeya, who studied how much area an infinitely thin needle covers when it rotates and how its geometry and spatial dimensions change. The conjecture has been proven in one and two-dimensional spaces, but the problem in three-dimensional space has remained unsolved for more than a century.
Wan Xun and her colleague Joshua Zal from the University of British Columbia developed this complex mathematical problem in a 127-page paper. The practical applications of these proofs could greatly facilitate the development of new possibilities in cryptography, wireless communication, and data visualization.
Wan Xun's proof has attracted the attention of the global scientific community, and Terence Tao, a Fields Medal winner, has praised her work highly. Furthermore, Wan Xun's remarkable skills compared to two different scholars and similar young mathematicians make her a strong candidate for the Fields Medal.
Wan Xun was born in Guilin, China, and graduated from Peking University. At the age of 16, she scored 653 points on the National College Entrance Examination and later transferred to the mathematics department. She continued her academic career under the guidance of mathematician Larry Guth at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 2023, Wan has been an assistant professor at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University.
Wan Xun's achievements represent one of the significant initiatives and important mathematical problems in history, resulting in her mathematical work being highly valued internationally. The efforts of Chinese scholars not only pave the way for mathematicians but also contribute to advancements in the entire field of science and technology.
