Yitang Zhang
Yitang Zhang is a Chinese-American mathematician known for his breakthrough results in number-theory, specifically regarding bounded gaps between prime numbers.
Key Contributions
- Bounded Prime Gaps (2013): Proved that there are infinitely many pairs of primes that differ by less than 70 million. This was the first finite bound on prime gaps, making significant progress toward the twin-prime-conjecture.
- Prior to this result, it was unknown whether the gaps between consecutive primes were bounded by any constant.
- The bound was subsequently reduced by other mathematicians (e.g., the Polymath Project) to much smaller values.
- Academic Background: Held a professorship at University of California, San Diego before experiencing professional setbacks that led him to work various jobs while continuing his research in isolation.
Recent Developments & Media Coverage
- Featured in Veritasium documentary The Man Who Worked At Subway, Then Solved An “Impossible” Problem (2026), detailing the history and impact of his proof on the twin-prime-conjecture.