Chiang Ti Ming (; 27 July 1976 - 6 January 2007) was a

Malaysian Chinese Malaysian Chinese (; Malay: ''Orang Cina Malaysia''), alternatively Chinese Malaysians, are Malaysian citizens of Han Chinese descent. They form the second largest ethnic group after the Malay majority constituting 22.4% of the Malaysian po ...

particle physicist Particle physics or high energy physics is the study of Elementary particle, fundamental particles and fundamental interaction, forces that constitute matter and radiation. The fundamental particles in the universe are classified in the Standa ...

and child prodigy. He was the youngest student to be admitted to the California Institute of Technology.

Biography

Chiang Ti Ming was a native of Seremban,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. He was tested to have an IQ of 148 when he was small. He displayed an exceptional ability in science and languages in childhood, writing poetry in Chinese and English that expressed his awe of science and eagerness to explore it. In 1988, he made national headlines when he skipped from Form 1 to Form 6 and was preparing to enter university in the US to study physics or computer science. He soon went to INTI International University College to take classes and prepare for university admission. Dr. Lee Fah Onn, the president of the college, said he was very special as he was able to understand abstract ideas. In 1989, at age 13, he was admitted to the second year of the four-year physics degree programme at the California Institute of Technology, setting a record of the youngest student ever to enter the prestigious university. Unable to obtain Malaysian government scholarship, Chiang was sponsored by private organisations and Malaysian Chinese community. During his undergraduate years, Chiang's results were also among the top five percent of students, and he was the youngest student ever to receive the Undergraduate Students Merit Award two years in a row. He was a member of the

Tau Beta Pi The Tau Beta Pi Association (commonly Tau Beta Pi, , or TBP) is the oldest engineering honor society and the second oldest collegiate honor society in the United States. It honors engineering students in American universities who have shown a ...

. He earned his B.S. degree with honours in 1992. In 1992, Chiang was admitted to

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

to study for the Ph.D. degree in physics. He earned his doctorate in

string theory In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. String theory describes how these strings propagate through space and interac ...

in 1998 under the guidance of

Brian Greene Brian Randolph Greene (born February 9, 1963) is a American theoretical physicist, mathematician, and string theorist. Greene was a physics professor at Cornell University from 19901995, and has been a professor at Columbia University since 1 ...

. Then he went to the mathematics department of

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

to do a postdoctoral research with Shing-Tung Yau. His mentor Yau said that while he had done good work and had written papers well, he had had trouble interacting with people and had had poor living skills. Then Chiang began to show signs of mental issues. He returned to Malaysia in 2001, and he was admitted into a hospital in

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

for treatment of depression and withdrawal symptoms in 2002. According to a statement made by his father that year, he became reticent because he was too young to adapt to the environment and the work pressure of American society after receiving his Ph.D., and because he was being viewed differently by others, so he was taken back home for his health. His father also requested the media to stop giving him attention. He refused to eat nor drink and would not speak over long periods of time. His life had to be sustained by medication. His condition was worsened on 5 January 2007. He was rushed to

Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital The Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital (HTJS; ms, Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar) is a government hospital in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is the largest hospital in Negeri Sembilan. History The construction of the hospital began in 1969 and went int ...

and died the following day. His death was caused by neurogenic sepsis which was a rare complication of diabetes. Chiang was survived by his parents and a younger sister. Another younger sister of his drowned at a swimming pool in 1993, aged four.

Publications

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References

External links

* {{MathGenealogy, id=99922 Malaysian physicists Malaysian people of Chinese descent Particle physicists California Institute of Technology alumni Cornell University alumni