Fields Medalist Huh Jun-Young: From Poetry to Proving Rota's Conjecture

Jun-Young Huh, initially a poet, found a deeper beauty in mathematics. Overcoming an unremarkable undergraduate record, he solved Read's conjecture, a 40-year-old problem in graph theory, during his PhD studies in the US. His groundbreaking work, culminating in a proof of Rota's conjecture and a Fields Medal, elegantly connects algebraic geometry and combinatorics, demonstrating that geometry can exist beyond physical space. His journey showcases the unexpected pathways of genius and the power of relentless curiosity.