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Biography
AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjectsRelationships
PeopleInstitutionsResources
Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as AuthorPublished as SubjectChen Ning Yang
Dates
September 22, 1922 – present
Authorized Form of Name
Yang, Chen Ning, 1922-
Additional Forms of Names
杨振宁, 1922-
Yang, C. N. (Chen Ning), 1922-
Yang, Zhenning, 1922-
Yō, Shinnei, 1922-
杨振寧, 1922-
楊振寧, 1922-
Biography
Abstract
Chen Ning Yang is Albert Einstein Professor of Physics Emeritus at State University of New York, Stony Brook (1999-present) and won the Nobel Prize in Physics with Tsung-Dao Lee in 1957. Other institutional affiliations include the Institute for Advanced Study. His research interests include statistical mechanics and symmetry principles.
Important Dates
September 22, 1922Birth, Hefei Shi (China).
1942Obtained BSc, National Southwest Associated University, Kunming Shi (China).
1944Obtained MSc, Tsinghua University, Kunming Shi (China).
1948Obtained PhD, University of Chicago, Chicago (Ill.).
1948 – 1949Instructor in Physics, University of Chicago.
1949 – 1966Member (1949-1955) and Professor (1955-1966), Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton (N.J.).
1957Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics with Tsung-Dao Lee "for their penetrating investigation of the so-called parity laws which has led to important discoveries regarding the elementary particles".
1962 – 1978Member, Board of Trustees, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
1965Member, National Academy of Sciences.
1965Chair, Panel of Theoretical Physics, Physics Survey Committee, National Academy of Sciences.
1966 – 1971Member, Science Advisory Committee, International Business Machines (IBM).
1966 – presentAlbert Einstein Professor of Physics (1966-1999); Director, Institute for Theoretical Physics (1966-1999); and Albert Einstein Professor of Physics Emeritus (1999-present), State University of New York, Stony Brook, Stony Brook (N.Y.).
1968 – 1970Member, High Energy Physics Advisory Panel, United States Atomic Energy Commission.
1970 – 1971Chair, Division of Particles and Fields, American Physical Society.
1970 – 1976Member, Board of Trustees, Rockefeller University.
1972 – 1976Chair, Division of Particles and Fields, International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.
1977 – 1980President, National Association of Chinese Americans.
1978 – 1989Member, Board of Trustees, Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
1980 – 1983Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, Max Planck Institute for Physics.
1981 – 1999Member, Board of Trustees, Stony Brook Foundation.
1983 – 1988Member, Board of Directors, Neuroscience Institute.
1983 – 1990Member, Board of Directors, Scientific American, Inc.
1986Awarded National Medal of Science.
1986 – presentDistinguished Professor-at-Large, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
1989 – 1994President, Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies.
1996 – 2004President, Asia Pacific Center of Theoretical Physics.
1998 – 1999Member, Board of Trustees, Brookhaven Science Associates.
1998 – presentProfessor, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China).
1999Awarded Lars Onsager Prize, American Physical Society.
Occupation
Particle physicist.
Places
Birth
Undergraduate Education
Graduate Education
Employment
Subjects
Relationships
People
Advisors & Collaborators
Shared 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics "for their penetrating investigation of the so-called parity laws which has led to important discoveries regarding the elementary particles" and both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
PhD advisor at University of Chicago, "On the angular distribution in nuclear reactions and coincidence measurements," and both employed at University of Chicago.
Colleagues
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Allison, Samuel King, 1900-1965
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Brown, G. E. (Gerald Edward), 1926-
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Cooper, Leon N. (Leon Neil), 1930-
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Courant, Ernest D. (Ernest David), 1920-
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
DeWitt, Bryce S. (Bryce Seligman), 1923-2004
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study and State University of New York, Stony Brook.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Kraichnan, Robert H., 1928-2008
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Low, Francis E. (Francis Eugene), 1921-2007
Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Marburger, John H., III (John Harmen), 1941-2011
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Simpson, John A. (John Alexander), 1916-2000
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Additional
Berlin, Theodore H., 1917-1962
Pais, Abraham, 1918-2000
Pickering, Andrew, 1948-
Wu, Ta-you
Institutions
Major Positions
Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, N.J.)
Member and Professor.
Qing hua da xue (Beijing, China)
Obtained MSc (1944). Professor.
State University of New York at Stony Brook. Department of Physics
Albert Einstein Professor of Physics; Director, Institute for Theoretical Physics; and Albert Einstein Professor of Physics Emeritus.
University of Chicago. Department of Physics
Obtained PhD (1948). Instructor in Physics.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
Chair, Division of Particles and Fields and received 1999 Lars Onsager Prize.
Asia-Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics
President.
Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies
President.
Brookhaven Science Associates
Member, Board of Trustees.
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Distinguished Professor-at-Large.
Member, Science Advisory Committee.
International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
Chair, Division of Particles and Fields.
Max-Planck-Institut fur Physik
Chair, Scientific Advisory Board.
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
Member and Chair, Panel of Theoretical Physics, Physics Survey Committee.
Rockefeller University
Member, Board of Trustees.
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Member, Board of Trustees.
Scientific American
Member, Board of Trustees.
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
Member, High Energy Physics Advisory Panel.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Member, Board of Trustees.
Xi nan lian he da xue (Kunming Shi, China)
Obtained BSc (1942).
Resources
Archival Resources
Author
Andrew Pickering interviews conducted for his book CONSTRUCTING QUARKS, 1978-1982.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Gibbs Symposium records, 1964-1989.
Manuscript and Archives.
Yale University Library
Box 208240, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
High energy physics session [sound recording], 1964 April 30.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Is parity conserved in weak interactions?: manuscript by Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee, 1956.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Karl D. Hartzell Stony Brook oral history project, 1986-1989.
Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
Nobel laureates on scientific research project : oral history, 1964.
Oral History Research Office
Columbia University
Box 20, Room 801 Butler Library, New York, NY 10027, USA
Oral history interview with Chen Ning Yang, 1980 November 1.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Reminiscences of Chen Ning Yang : oral history, 1964.
Oral History Research Office
Columbia University
Box 20, Room 801 Butler Library, New York, NY 10027, USA
Sidney Gelber Stony Brook history project, 1947-1988.
Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
Symposium of the Forum on Physics and Society [sound recording] : Science in China ; 1973 January 30.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Subject
20th Century Chinese Physicists and Physics [sound recording], 2014 March 6.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Abraham Pais papers, 1875 -2000 (bulk 1936-1998).
Rockefeller Archive Center
15 Dayton Ave., Pocantico Hills, North Tarrytown, NY 10591-1598, USA
Murray Gell-Mann papers, 1931-2001 (bulk 1955-1993).
Institute Archives
California Institute of Technology
1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Oral history interview with David Lazarus, 1981 December 4.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with David Pines, 1981 April 13 and 16.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Lincoln Wolfenstein, 1997 April 19.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Ta-You Wu, 1977 February 5.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Tsung-Dao Lee, 1980 October 31.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Outtakes and candid footage from the production of : The world of Enrico Fermi, circa 1930-1968.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Text materials for documentary film: The world of Enrico Fermi, circa 1930-1968.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
The world of Enrico Fermi [motion picture].
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Theodore Berlin papers, 1944-1962.
Rockefeller Archive Center
15 Dayton Ave., Pocantico Hills, North Tarrytown, NY 10591-1598, USA
Published Resources
Author
Elementary particles and weak interactions / by T.D. Lee and C.N. Yang.
Elementary particles; a short history of some discoveries in atomic physics.
From nuclei to stars : festschrift in honor of Gerald E. Brown / editor, Sabine Lee.
High energy collisions: third international conference, organized by C. N. Yang [et al.]
Selected papers II, with commentaries / Chen Ning Yang.
Selected papers, 1945-1980, with commentary / Chen Ning Yang.
Subject
50 years of Yang-Mills theory / edited by Gerardus 't Hooft.