Vietnam's youngest female Doctor of Science leaves lasting legacy following lifelong pursuit of mathematics
Achieving several milestones from a young age, Professor Le Hong Van dedicated her life to mathematics, continuing to publish research, teach and pursue new work in geometry, machine learning, and artificial intelligence until her death at 65.
Van, Vietnam's youngest female Doctor of Science, passed away on September 2 in Prague, Czech Republic. Her untimely death left a void among her peers, who admired her exceptional talent. Former Institute of Mathematics director, Professor Ngo Viet Trung, expressed his profound sadness over her loss. Born in 1961, Van was the second daughter of Le Van Giang, a former deputy minister of higher education and professional secondary education.
Her mathematical abilities were evident from a young age, earning her a place in the mathematics-specialized program at Hanoi General University by the age of 14. Despite missing out on the International Mathematical Olympiad that year due to funding issues, Van was chosen to represent Vietnam at the competition in the following years.
She pursued her higher education at Moscow State University, where she excelled academically and was later granted a doctorate degree in 1989. Van's groundbreaking research on minimal surfaces and effective norms earned her several prestigious awards, including the Moscow Mathematical Society Prize and the Majorana Prize. Her work attracted international recognition and paved the way for advancements in various fields, including architecture, materials science, biology, and artificial intelligence.
Despite her success, Van chose to remain in Europe to be closer to her family. She worked at the Institute of Mathematics in the Czech Academy of Sciences and made significant contributions to differential geometry, symplectic topology, and geometric analysis. Van's legacy lives on through her publications and the impact of her research on modern mathematical applications.
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