Physicist Chen Ning Yang passes away; won 1957 Nobel for work on 'parity laws' - tributes pour in

Renowned Chinese physicist Chen Ning Yang , who won the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics , died of illness in Beijing on Saturday, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

He was 103-years-old.

The prestigious Tsinghua University, where he studied and served as a professor, paid tribute to him in a statement.

“His life stands as a timeless chapter in human history—one that shines not only for China but for the global community of thinkers and innovators. His legacy will live on forever" the statement said.

Prof. Chen Ning Yang, a world-renowned physicist, Nobel Laureate in Physics, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor at Tsinghua University, and Honorary Director of the Institute for Advanced Study at Tsinghua University, passed away in Beijing due to illness… pic.twitter.com/WIsZlfIvEq

— Tsinghua University (@Tsinghua_Uni) October 18, 2025

The eldest of five siblings, Yang, along with fellow theoretical physicist Lee-Tsung Dao, was jointly awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on parity laws. Their research led to ground-breaking discoveries about elementary particles - the fundamental building blocks of matter.

Three years earlier, Yang, also known as Franklin or Frank, co-authored a set of equations with American physicist Robert Mills. The resulting Yang-Mills theory described how three of nature’s four fundamental forces — the electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions — operate in the subatomic world.

Westlake University deeply mourns the passing of Professor Chen-Ning Yang — Nobel laureate in Physics, Honorary Chair of the Board of Trustees of Westlake University, and a member of Westlake’s Advisory Board.
Professor Yang’s century-long life was a bridge between East and West,… pic.twitter.com/LcpbTXHjWQ

— Westlake University (@Westlake_Uni) October 18, 2025

The Yang-Mills theory also laid the mathematical foundation for what came to be known as the Standard Model , which unifies these forces and explains the behaviour of all known elementary particles.

Farewell to Prof. Chen-Ning “Frank” Yang (1922–2025) — a mind that redefined physics.
His theories on parity violation, Yang–Mills fields, and statistical mechanics built the pillars of today’s fundamental physics.
Few have shaped our understanding of nature so profoundly. 🕯️

— Erik Zhang (@neoerikzhang) October 18, 2025

In addition to his ground-breaking research, Yang was a prolific author, with numerous articles published in journals including the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society, Physical Review, Reviews of Modern Physics, and the Chinese Journal of Physics.