This is a list of

Chinese mathematicians Mathematics in China emerged independently by the 11th century BCE. The Chinese independently developed a real number system that includes significantly large and negative numbers, more than one numeral system ( base 2 and base 10), algebra, geomet ...

. With a history spanning over three millennia, Chinese mathematics is believed to have initially developed largely independently of other cultures. {{Expand list, date=December 2016

Classical Chinese mathematicians

Jing Fang Jing Fang (, 78–37 BC), born Li Fang (), courtesy name Junming (), was born in present-day 東郡頓丘 ( Puyang, Henan) during the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD). He was a Chinese music theorist, mathematician and astrologer. Although ...

: 78 – 37 BC * Liu Xin: c. 50 BC – 23 AD *

Zhang Heng Zhang Heng (; AD 78–139), formerly romanization of Chinese, romanized as Chang Heng, was a Chinese polymathic scientist and statesman who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty, Han dynasty. Educated in the capital cities of Luoyang and Chang ...

: 78 – 139 AD * Liu Hong: 129 – 210 AD *

Cai Yong Cai Yong (Chinese: ; 132–192), courtesy name Bojie, was Chinese astronomer, calligrapher, historian, mathematician, musician, politician, and writer of the Eastern Han dynasty. He was well-versed in calligraphy, music, mathematics and astron ...

: 132 – 192 AD *

Liu Hui Liu Hui () was a Chinese mathematician who published a commentary in 263 CE on ''Jiu Zhang Suan Shu (The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art).'' He was a descendant of the Marquis of Zixiang of the Eastern Han dynasty and lived in the state o ...

: 225 – 295 AD * Wang Fan: 228 – 266 AD *

Sun Tzu Sun Tzu ( ; zh, t=孫子, s=孙子, first= t, p=Sūnzǐ) was a Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and writer who lived during the Eastern Zhou period of 771 to 256 BCE. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of ''The ...

: c. 3rd – 5th century AD *

Zu Chongzhi Zu Chongzhi (; 429–500 AD), courtesy name Wenyuan (), was a Chinese astronomer, mathematician, politician, inventor, and writer during the Liu Song and Southern Qi dynasties. He was most notable for calculating pi as between 3.1415926 and 3 ...

: 429 – 500 AD * Zu Gengzhi: c. 450 – c. 520 AD

Middle Imperial Chinese mathematicians

Zhen Luan Zhen Luan (甄鸾) (535 – 566) was a Chinese mathematician, astronomer and daoist who was active during the Northern Zhou (557-581) of the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. Born in the Wuji County of the present day Hubei Province, he ...

: 535–566 * Wang Xiaotong: 580–640 *

Li Chunfeng Li Chunfeng (; 602–670) was a Chinese mathematician, astronomer, historian, and politician who was born in today's Baoji, Shaanxi, during the Sui and Tang dynasties. He was first appointed to the Imperial Astronomy Bureau to help institute a c ...

: 602–670 *

Yi Xing Yi Xing (, 683–727), born Zhang Sui (), was a Chinese astronomer, Buddhist monk, inventor, mathematician, mechanical engineer, and philosopher during the Tang dynasty. His astronomical celestial globe featured a liquid-driven escapement, th ...

: 683–727 * Wei Pu: 11th century * Jia Xian: 1010–1070 *

Su Song Su Song (, 1020–1101), courtesy name Zirong (), was a Chinese polymathic scientist and statesman. Excelling in a variety of fields, he was accomplished in mathematics, astronomy, cartography, geography, horology, pharmacology, mineralogy, ...

: 1020–1101 *

Shen Kuo Shen Kuo (; 1031–1095) or Shen Gua, courtesy name Cunzhong (存中) and pseudonym Mengqi (now usually given as Mengxi) Weng (夢溪翁),Yao (2003), 544. was a Chinese polymathic scientist and statesman of the Song dynasty (960–1279). Shen wa ...

: 1031–1095 *

Li Zhi Li Zhi may refer to: *Emperor Gaozong of Tang (628–683), named Li Zhi, Emperor of China * Li Ye (mathematician) (1192–1279), Chinese mathematician and scholar, birth name Li Zhi *Li Zhi (philosopher) (1527–1602), Chinese philosopher from the ...

: 1192–1279 *

Qin Jiushao Qin Jiushao (, ca. 1202–1261), courtesy name Daogu (道古), was a Chinese mathematician, meteorologist, inventor, politician, and writer. He is credited for discovering Horner's method as well as inventing Tianchi basins, a type of rain gaug ...

: c. 1202–1261 *

Guo Shoujing Guo Shoujing (, 1231–1316), courtesy name Ruosi (), was a Chinese astronomer, hydraulic engineer, mathematician, and politician of the Yuan dynasty. The later Johann Adam Schall von Bell (1591–1666) was so impressed with the preserved astron ...

: 1231–1316 *

Yang Hui Yang Hui (, ca. 1238–1298), courtesy name Qianguang (), was a Chinese mathematician and writer during the Song dynasty. Originally, from Qiantang (modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang), Yang worked on magic squares, magic circles and the binomial theor ...

: c. 1238–1298 *

Zhu Shijie Zhu Shijie (, 1249–1314), courtesy name Hanqing (), pseudonym Songting (), was a Chinese mathematician and writer. He was a Chinese mathematician during the Yuan Dynasty. Zhu was born close to today's Beijing. Two of his mathematical works ha ...

: 1249–1314

Late Imperial Chinese mathematicians

Cheng Dawei Cheng may refer to: Chinese states * Chengjia or Cheng (25–36 AD) * Cheng Han or Cheng (304–338) * Zheng (state), or Cheng in Wade–Giles Places * Chengdu, abbreviated as Cheng * Cheng County, in Gansu, China * Cheng Township, in Malacca, M ...

: 1533–1606 *

Zhu Zaiyu Zhu or ZHU may refer to: *Zhu (surname), common Chinese surnames *Zhu River, or Pearl River, in southern China *Zhu (state), ancient Chinese state, later renamed Zou * House of Zhu, the ruling house of the Ming dynasty in Chinese history *Zhu (str ...

: 1536–1611 *

Xu Guangqi Xu Guangqi or Hsü Kuang-ch'i (April 24, 1562– November 8, 1633), also known by his baptismal name Paul, was a Chinese agronomist, astronomer, mathematician, politician, and writer during the Ming dynasty. Xu was a colleague and collaborato ...

: 1562–1633 * Minggatu: 1692–1763 * Li Rui: 1768–1817 *

Li Shanlan Li Shanlan (李善蘭, courtesy name: Renshu 壬叔, art name: Qiuren 秋紉) (1810 – 1882) was a Chinese mathematician of the Qing Dynasty. A native of Haining City, Haining, Zhejiang, he was fascinated by mathematics since childhood, beginni ...

: 1810–1882 *

Xiong Qinglai Xiong Qinglai, or Hiong King-Lai (, October 20, 1893 – February 3, 1969), courtesy name Dizhi (), was a Chinese mathematician from Yunnan. He was the first person to introduce modern mathematics into China, and served as an influential preside ...

: 1893–1969 * Su Buqing: 1902–2003 * Pao-Lu Hsu: 1910–1970 *

Hua Luogeng Hua Luogeng or Hua Loo-Keng (; 12 November 1910 – 12 June 1985) was a Chinese mathematician and politician famous for his important contributions to number theory and for his role as the leader of mathematics research and education in the Peop ...

: 1910–1985 * Ke Zhao: 1910–2002 *

Shiing-Shen Chern Shiing-Shen Chern (; , ; October 28, 1911 – December 3, 2004) was a Chinese-American mathematician and poet. He made fundamental contributions to differential geometry and topology. He has been called the "father of modern differential geome ...

: 1911–2004 * Wei-Liang Chow: 1911–1995

Modern Chinese mathematicians

: 1911–2004 * Chien Wei-zang: 1912–2010 * Ky Fan: 1914–2010 * Chia-Chiao Lin: 1916–2013 *

Wu Wenjun Wu Wenjun ( zh, s=吴文俊; 12 May 1919 – 7 May 2017), also commonly known as Wu Wen-tsün, was a Chinese mathematician, historian, and writer. He was an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), best known for the Wu's method of ...

: 1919–2017 * Yuan-Shih Chow: 1924–2022 *

Gu Chaohao Gu Chaohao (; May 15, 1926 – June 24, 2012) was a Chinese mathematician. He graduated from National Chekiang University (Zhejiang University) in 1948, and received a doctorate in physics and mathematical science from Moscow University in 1959. ...

: 1926–2012 * Daoxing Xia: b. 1930 * Wang Yuan: 1930–2021 * Chen Jingrun: 1933–1996 *

Pan Chengdong Pan Chengdong ( zh, c=潘承洞, p=Pān Chéngdòng; 26 May 1934 – 27 December 1997) was a Chinese mathematician who made numerous contributions to number theory, including progress on Goldbach's conjecture. He was vice president of Shando ...

: 1934–1997 * Yum-Tong Siu: b. 1943 * Peng Shige: b. 1947 *

Shing-Tung Yau Shing-Tung Yau (; ; born April 4, 1949) is a Chinese-American mathematician and the William Caspar Graustein Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University. In April 2022, Yau announced retirement from Harvard to become Chair Professor of math ...

: b. 1949,

Fields medal The Fields Medal is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians under 40 years of age at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), a meeting that takes place every four years. The name of the award h ...

recipient * Yitang Zhang: b. 1955 *

Gang Tian Tian Gang (; born November 24, 1958) is a Chinese mathematician. He is a professor of mathematics at Peking University and Higgins Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. He is known for contributions to the mathematical fields of Kähler g ...

: b. 1958 * Jeffrey Yi-Lin Forrest: b. 1959 * Huai-Dong Cao: b. 1959 * Shou-Wu Zhang: b. 1962 * Weinan E: b. 1963 * Kefeng Liu: b. 1965 *

Terence Tao Terence Chi-Shen Tao (; born 17 July 1975) is an Australian-American mathematician. He is a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he holds the James and Carol Collins chair. His research includes ...

: b.1975 * Wei Zhang: b. 1981 * Zhiwei Yun: b. 1982 * Chenyang Xu: b. 1981 *

Eddie Woo Edward Kent Woo is an Australian secondary school teacher and writer best known for his online mathematics lessons published on YouTube. In 2018, Woo was awarded the Australia's Local Hero Award. Early life Woo's ethnic Chinese parents migrat ...

: b. 1985 *

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of v ...