Core Viewpoint - Renowned physicist and Nobel Prize winner Yang Zhenning passed away on October 18, 2025, in Beijing at the age of 103, leaving behind a legacy of significant contributions to theoretical physics [1]. Group 1: Early Life and Education - Yang Zhenning was born on October 1, 1922, in Hefei, Anhui, and moved to Tsinghua University with his family in 1929 when his father became a professor there [4]. - He showed exceptional academic performance from a young age, particularly in mathematics, and expressed his ambition to win a Nobel Prize at the age of 13 [6]. - At 16, he enrolled in Southwest Associated University, demonstrating his advanced academic capabilities [6][8]. Group 2: Academic Journey and Research - Yang Zhenning began his research in statistical mechanics under the guidance of Wang Zhuxi in 1942 and graduated with a master's degree from Tsinghua University in 1944 [8]. - He moved to the United States in 1945 to pursue further studies at the University of Chicago, where he shifted his focus from experimental to theoretical physics [10][12]. - His collaboration with Mills led to the publication of the Yang-Mills theory in 1954, marking a significant advancement in the study of gauge fields [15]. Group 3: Nobel Prize Achievement - In June 1956, Yang Zhenning and Li Zhengdao submitted a paper questioning the conservation of parity in weak interactions, which was met with skepticism from the physics community [17][19]. - Their hypothesis was experimentally validated by Wu Jianxiong, leading to the acceptance of parity non-conservation in weak interactions [19]. - Yang Zhenning and Li Zhengdao were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957 for their groundbreaking work [20]. Group 4: Legacy - Yang Zhenning's life spanned two centuries, bridging Eastern and Western cultures, and he is celebrated as a legendary figure in the exploration of the unknown [23]. - He metaphorically described his life as a "circle," starting from Tsinghua University, achieving global recognition, and ultimately returning to his roots [23].