Chen Jiangong (; 1893–1971), or Jian-gong Chen, was a Chinese

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

. He was a pioneer of modern Chinese mathematics.Chen's profile in People.com
He was the dean of the Department of Mathematics, National Chekiang University (now

Zhejiang University Zhejiang University, abbreviated as ZJU or Zheda and formerly romanized as Chekiang University, is a national public research university based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It is a member of the prestigious C9 League and is selected into the na ...

), and a founding academician the Chinese Academy of Sciences (elected 1955).

Life

Chen was born in Shanyin County (now Shaoxing),

Zhejiang Province Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiangs ...

during the late

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

. He studied at Shanyin School and later Shaoxing Prefecture School. In 1910 he entered the Zhejiang Advanced Normal School, a teacher-training institution which was later merged into

National Chekiang University Zhejiang University, abbreviated as ZJU or Zheda and formerly romanized as Chekiang University, is a national public research university based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It is a member of the prestigious C9 League and is selected into the na ...

. Chen later went to Japan to continue his studies. In 1916 he graduated from the

Tokyo Institute of Technology is a national research university located in Greater Tokyo Area, Japan. Tokyo Tech is the largest institution for higher education in Japan dedicated to science and technology, one of first five Designated National University and selected as ...

, where he majored in textile technology, and the Tokyo Academy of Physics (now known as the

Tokyo University of Science , formerly "Science University of Tokyo" or TUS, informally or simply is a private research university located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. History Tokyo University of Science was founded in 1881 as The Tokyo Academy of Physics by 21 graduates ...

). After graduating from

Tohoku Imperial University , or is a Japanese national university located in Sendai, Miyagi in the Tōhoku Region, Japan. It is informally referred to as . Established in 1907, it was the third Imperial University in Japan and among the first three Designated National ...

in 1923, Chen returned to China and became a lecturer at the Zhejiang Industrial School, which was later merged into National Chekiang University. In 1924 he went to

Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...

, Hubei Province, and became a professor at National Wuchang University (now

Wuhan University Wuhan University (WHU; ) is a public research university in Wuhan, Hubei. The university is sponsored by the Ministry of Education. Wuhan university was founded as one of the four elite universities in the early republican period of China and i ...

). In 1926, Chen returned to Tohoku Imperial University to continue his studies in mathematics, completing his Ph.D. in 1929 and becoming the first international student awarded a Ph.D. by a Japanese university. It was during this time that he met his later colleague

Su Buqing Su Buqing, also spelled Su Buchin (; September 23, 1902 – March 17, 2003), was a Chinese mathematician, educator and poet. He was the founder of differential geometry in China, and served as president of Fudan University and honorary chairman ...

, a fellow mathematics Ph.D. candidate. After earning his doctorate, Chen was offered teaching positions at institutions including

Peking University Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charter ...

and Wuhan University. However, on the invitation of National Chekiang University president Shao Feizhi, Chen returned to Zhejiang University to serve as dean of the Department of Mathematics, a position he held for the next 20 years. After earning his doctorate in 1931, Su Buqing was invited to join Chen's department and take over his position as department chair, allowing Chen to focus more on research. Their collaboration resulted in the Chen-Su school of mathematics in Hangzhou. The outbreak of the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...

in 1937 forced Chen, and much of Zhejiang University, to relocate from

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...

. In February 1940, Chen arrived at

Zunyi Zunyi () is a prefecture-level city in northern Guizhou province, People's Republic of China, situated between the provincial capital Guiyang to the south and Chongqing to the north, also bordering Sichuan to the northwest. Along with Guiyang an ...

, and then subsequently Meitan, Guizhou Province, where he helped re-establish the colleges of engineering and sciences. In 1945, after the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chen was invited by biologist Luo Zongluo (

Lo Tsung-lo Lo Tsung-lo (; 2 August 1898 – 26 October 1978) was a Chinese botanist and plant physiologist. Lo was a main founder of modern plant physiology in China. He was the first President of National Taiwan University (after World War II). Biography ...

), who was serving as the 1st president of National Taiwan University (formerly Taihoku Imperial University), as well as the Nationalist government in Nanjing, to travel to

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...

and serve as acting dean of NTU during its reorganization. In the spring of 1946, Chen returned to mainland China (then still controlled by Nationalist government), where he continued teaching in National Chekiang University and became a researcher in the Mathematics Research Institute at the

Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from ...

. From 1947 to 1948, Chen traveled to the United States to do research at the

Institute for Advanced Study The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States, is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent scholar ...

in Princeton, New Jersey. He was elected an academician of the Academia Sinica in 1948. After the

Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...

, Chen remained in Zhejiang, now part of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. In 1952, Zhejiang University was dissociated and its colleges of sciences and humanities were merged with Fudan University in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

. Both Chen and Su Buqing moved to Fudan University, where they continued their cooperation and the Chen-Su school of mathematics. While in Shanghai, Chen translated many mathematical works produced in the

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. In recognition of his advancements in the field of mathematics, in 1955 Chen was elected an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in its inaugural year. In 1958, some departments of Zhejiang University were split from the university in order to form

Hangzhou University Hangzhou University (), colloquially called Hangda () and formerly romanised as Hangchow University, was a public university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. The university was founded as Zhejiang Teachers College () in 1952 by merging the department ...

(which eventually merged back into Zhejiang University in 1998). Chen was appointed to vice president of Hangzhou University and moved back to Hangzhou.

Notable students

* Gu Chaohao – mathematician, former president of the

University of Science and Technology of China A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

* Xia Daoxing – mathematician *

Hu Hesheng Hu Hesheng (; born 20 June 1928) is a Chinese mathematician. She served as vice-president of Chinese Mathematical Society, president of the Shanghai Mathematical Society, and is an academician of Chinese Academy of Science. She held the Noether ...

– mathematician, 2002

Noether Lecture The Noether Lecture is a distinguished lecture series that honors women "who have made fundamental and sustained contributions to the mathematical sciences". The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) established the annual lectures in 1980 as t ...

References

Chen Jiangong - information from the website of Shaoxing Government

General Introduction and brief history, from the College of Science, Zhejiang University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Jiangong 1893 births 1971 deaths 20th-century Chinese mathematicians Chinese expatriates in Japan Educators from Shaoxing Academic staff of Fudan University Mathematicians from Zhejiang Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Presidents of National Taiwan University Scientists from Shaoxing Tohoku University alumni Tokyo Institute of Technology alumni Zhejiang University alumni Academic staff of Zhejiang University