After establishing Nankai Institute of Mathematics in 1985, considering the close connection between mathematics and theoretical physics, in 1986 Professor Shiing-Shen Chern decided to found the Theoretical Physics Division. He invited Professor Chen-Ning Yang to help prepare for and give advise to the establishment and research of the division, and set the major research direction — Yang-Mills theory and Yang-Baxter system, according to Professor Yang’s research field and the development tendency of international mathematical physics back then. The newly founded division aimed to develop in three aspects: research on mathematical physics connecting closely with physics, expansion of international communication and cooperation through organization of international conferences, and formation of a professional research team by focusing on domestic graduate students training. After 30 years of effective working, the Theoretical Physics Division has made significant achievements on research of quantum intergrable system, Yang-Baxter Equation, quantum group, knot theory and its applications in physics. It hosted many conferences, including the 21st and the 23rd International Conference on Differential Geometric Methods in Theoretical Physics (DGMTP), the Satellite Meeting of the 19th International Conference on Statistical Physics (STATPHYS), the NKU/ICTP-AP Joint Academic Conference, and the other six Nankai international conferences which involved many international hot subjects including intergrable system, statistic model, quantum group, knot theory and Yang-Mills field. Since 1993, the Theoretical Physics Division has hosted three national symposiums on new progress in quantum mechanics, which all pushed forward the development of quantum mechanics in China.
International support is an important driver of development for the Theoretical Physics Division. More than 100 famous physicists and mathematicians around the world, including M. Atiyah, F. Dyson, V. Jones, J. Wess, L. Faddeev, L. Biedenharn, L. Kauffman, K. Fujikawa, M. Wadati and M. Jimbo, have visited the division and given lectures more than once. Some of these scholars hosted doctoral dissertation defenses at the division. With their help and guidance, the Theoretical Physics Division nurtured a lot of young scholars who bear the good quality of being rigorous in research and having deep love to their country, and many of them have become leading figures in the research field of Chinese theoretical physics.
While getting help and guidance from Professor Shiing-Shen Chern, Chen-Ning Yang and L. Faddeev, the Theoretical Physics Division was also receiving academic advises and support from many renowned Chinese scholars including Professor Chaohao Gu, Hesheng Hu, Daqian Li, Bailin Hao, Kung-Ching Chang, Xiantu He, Shigang Chen, Yuping Huo and Min Qian. Currently there are three professors (including one academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences) and more than ten graduate students in the division.
