University of Chicago professor and 2026 Fields Medalist Deng Yu reflects on his career trajectory, tracing his path from International Mathematical Olympiad gold medalist to Princeton PhD graduate, and to solving a core component of Hilbert's Sixth Problem—a puzzle that has stumped mathematicians for over a century. Deng points to two driving forces behind his work: the precision of mathematical proof and a deep desire to understand the physical world. He shares what it takes to wrestle with problems of this scale, along with his perspective on how the role of mathematicians is evolving alongside advancements in AI. Watch the full interview to see the thinking behind his work.