Research

C.N. Yang's groundbreaking contributions to physics earned him the 1957 Nobel Prize alongside T.D. Lee for their groundbreaking work on parity violation in weak interactions. Their proposal challenged the fundamental assumption of parity conservation in physics, sparking a revolution in particle physics and solidifying their places in scientific history. Yang's collaboration with Lee also extended to other areas, including neutrino theory and CP nonconservation, further advancing our understanding of fundamental particle interactions. Additionally, Yang's work with Robert Mills in 1953 led to the development of the Yang–Mills theory, a cornerstone of modern particle physics and the Standard Model. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he made significant contributions to statistical mechanics and condensed matter theory, elucidating phenomena such as phase transitions and flux quantization in superconductors. Yang's legacy extends beyond his Nobel Prize-winning work, as his formulations of the Yang–Baxter equation and the Wu–Yang monopole in the 1970s laid important groundwork for topological properties in gauge theory and the quest for a Grand Unified Theory.