Peking University, September 21, 2023: The 5th Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition recently held its award ceremony at Peking University (PKU), where the announcement of the 70 awardees took place. PKU students achieved remarkable success, securing a total of 41 awards, including three Gold, four Silver, seven Bronze medals, and 27 awards of distinction, making the University the most honored institution in the competition's history.

This year's Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition, which is the world's largest web-based math competition, attracted approximately 250,000 participants from 70 countries and regions.


Notably, three out of the four gold medalists in the math competition are students from Peking University. They are Qu Xiaoyu, Li Yixiao, and Hao Tianze.

Qu Xiaoyu

At just 17 years old, Qu Xiaoyu, a sophomore at PKU, achieved a new competition record by becoming the youngest gold medalist with a perfect score. Upon receiving the award, Qu humbly remarked, "I'm not a genius; I'm just a rookie. The more I learn, the more I realize how much we still don't understand, and for that, I feel so small in the universe of math." For Qu, mathematics and playing the piano are two of his passions. He believes that artistic beauty cannot be better presented than through the ultimate symmetry of the maths. Piano, on the other hand, is a consolation for his heart, bringing true beauty and relaxation to the mind. 

Li Yixiao and Hao Tianze, the other two gold medalists from PKU, achieved this honor againts fierce competition from around 50,000 math enthusiasts worldwide. Li Yixiao, a Ph.D. student, emphasized the importance of both talent and perseverance in the pursuit of mathematics. Hao Tianze, who specializes in geometrical analysis, reflected on the nature of mathematics, saying, "Math is a subject that digs inward and may indeed lead one to solitude, but at the same time math is constantly evolving, making communication a key to success."

Tian Gang

During the award ceremony, Tian Gang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, president of the Chinese Mathematical Society, and chair professor at Peking University, delivered an inspiring message to the audience and award recipients. "Each generation of mathematicians has its own mission, and we eagerly anticipate your future accomplishments," he remarked, "Let us work together so that more young students can join the world of mathematics and explore its wonderful and infinite possibilities together."

Written by: Niki Qiu
Edited by: Dennis Meng
Source: PKU News (Chinese)