The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is home to accomplished researchers whose work continues to drive progress in science and technology. Prof. SUN Defeng, Head and Chair Professor of Applied Optimization and Operations Research, and RGC Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Applied Mathematics, has been named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) in the 2026 class.
The AMS Fellows program celebrates members who have made outstanding contributions to the creation, exposition, advancement, communication, and utilisation of mathematics. Prof SUN joins a distinguished cohort of 40 international scholars whose work has shaped the global mathematical landscape.
This prestigious honour highlights Prof. SUN’s achievements in optimization, nonsmooth analysis, and optimization solver development. His research has driven key developments in matrix optimisation, high-dimensional statistical optimisation, second-order variational analysis, and computational finance, delivering wide-ranging impact across academia and industry.
Prof. SUN is internationally recognised for advancing both the theoretical foundations and algorithmic innovations that underpin modern optimisation and decision analytics. His work has led to robust software systems and practical methodologies adopted in engineering, data science, and financial risk management.
