But a big attraction is the 57-year-old Yau himself: He's the leading Chinese mathematician and ranks among the top ten in the world, says Phillip Griffiths, a math professor and a former president of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

FORBES: Plugging A Math Gap

But Shing-Tung Yau, a Chinese-born Harvard mathematician, doesn't see it that way.

FORBES: Plugging A Math Gap

It was 1993 and China was bidding for the 2000 Olympics. with the country brimming with confidence, a Chinese-born Harvard mathematician figured this was the time to ask China to host another global event held every four years.

FORBES: Plugging a Math Gap