The Kakeya conjecture, a century-old puzzle originating from a 1917 question by Sōichi Kakeya, centers on the minimum space required to rotate a needle 180 degrees. In a breakthrough 2025 collaboration with Joshua Zahl of Nankai University, Wang proved that while Kakeya sets can possess zero three-dimensional volume, they must retain a three-dimensional structure. This resolution has ripple effects across number theory, cryptography, and computer science.

Wang is only the third woman to receive the Fields Medal, which is awarded every four years to mathematicians under 40. Her academic journey includes degrees from Peking University, MIT, and institutions in France, before joining the NYU faculty in 2023. Beyond her work at the Courant Institute, she maintains a professorship at the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques. NYU President Linda G. Mills praised the achievement, noting that Wang’s work has opened new avenues of inquiry that will influence the field for decades.