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School of Mathematical Sciences (SMS) in Peking University (PKU) and Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research (BICMR) have different postdoctoral recruitment channels. For applications to SMS, see the recruitment information or English version. Recruitment is rolling. The supervisor evaluation form must be submitted by the supervisor. To complete this form, please send your CV and research statement to the email address in advance and schedule a half-hour to one-hour online/offline meeting for prior communication. For applications to BICMR, see mathjob. Prior contact with the supervisor is not required, but a half-hour to one-hour online/offline meeting is still necessary before officially joining the lab, which can be arranged during the application period / after receiving an offer / after joining BICMR.

After joining the lab, postdoctoral fellows need to maintain one meeting every one to two weeks, each about one hour with the supervisor during the semester to develop potential academic collaborations. Meetings can be rescheduled in advance, and arrangements can be discussed for winter and summer breaks outside the semester. Postdoctoral fellows can work independently on projects or collaborate with others simultaneously.

PhD students applying to join the lab should in principle be PhD students at SMS or BICMR. PhD students from other departments at PKU or from other universities will be considered case-by-case. Details to become an international PKU PhD student can be found in link1, link2, link3.

PhD students interested in joining the lab should be interested in and have preliminary familiarity with at least one lab research area, with mathematical foundations at the level of PhD qualifying exams. After sufficient preparation (recommended after the October qualifying exam in the first year), email the supervisor to arrange a meeting. After communication, the supervisor will provide a keyword from a research area. The PhD student should survey the historical background and research progress of this keyword within two weeks, then give a half-hour to one-hour review presentation to the supervisor. Upon approval, weekly one-hour academic meetings will be arranged (see the three principles below for details). After a trial period of one to three months, a joint decision will be made on whether to enter into a formal supervisory relationship.

PhD students who already have a supervisor may join the lab through joint supervision or a discussion group. PhD students under joint supervision need consent from their primary supervisor; after completing the PhD student process described above, one hour every two weeks will be arranged. Discussion groups are more flexible; there is no formal supervisory relationship with the supervisor, and participation is limited to academic discussion. See below for details.

(Communication Principle) One hour per week. Cancellation requests can be arranged one week in advance, and arrangements can be discussed for winter and summer breaks. Students should prepare questions in advance and discuss with the supervisor, filling the entire hour. Otherwise, minimize interruptions and use email for communication.

(Independence Principle) Each student should work on a different research direction. The first project needs to be completed independently, but students can organize reading groups. Collaboration with other students or external researchers is allowed after completing the first project. The supervisor and student do not collaborate before the student graduates.

(Literature Principle) Academic meetings only discuss topics not found in the literature or that are unclear. If literature or mini-courses are available, read and watch them independently first, and discuss using literature references. Organize literature by topic and build your own database.

Research methods can refer to the supervisor’s research essays during PhD and postdoc periods (Chinese only, text unchanged, please note the limitations of the writing period): How to Choose a Topic, How to Get Proof Ideas, How to Collaborate, How to Discuss, How to Accumulate Motivation, How to Develop Taste. Research methods can also be discussed during academic meetings.

Master students applying to join the lab should in principle be master students at SMS or BICMR. Master students from other departments at PKU or from other universities will be considered case-by-case. Details to become an international PKU master student can be found in link1, link2.

Master students interested in joining the lab should be interested in at least one lab research area. After sufficient preparation, email the supervisor to arrange a meeting. After communication, the supervisor will provide a keyword from a research area. The master student should survey the historical background and research progress of this keyword within two weeks, then give a half-hour to one-hour review presentation to the supervisor. Upon approval, one hour every two weeks will be arranged (see the three principles for PhD meetings for details). After a trial period of one to three months, a joint decision will be made on whether to enter into a formal supervisory relationship.

If a master student wishes to apply for a master-PhD combined program under the same supervisor, they need to follow the PhD student process (see above) and redo the keyword review presentation and one to three months of trial period.

Undergraduate students applying to join the lab should in principle be undergraduate students at SMS or BICMR. Undergraduate students from other departments at PKU or from other universities will be considered case-by-case. For international PKU undergraduate admission information, see link.

Undergraduates interested in joining the lab may first study on their own using the Courses materials, to connect with lab research areas. When ready, email a brief summary of what you have studied and your interests, and state your year and intended track (thesis or undergraduate research), to arrange a meeting with the supervisor. Suitability is judged by potential research interest and aptitude, with emphasis on alignment of interests rather than GPA. Research differs from coursework; please complete your degree program’s required courses independently.

Undergraduate research aims to start from a problem and reach the frontier of existing knowledge quickly. Originality is not required; the focus is on developing survey skills, though original projects are welcome if capacity allows. After discussion with the supervisor, a suitable problem will be chosen from the K3 problem list, preferably orthogonal to ongoing student projects. Once the topic is fixed, the student formally joins the lab. Students learn the background and related material through independent reading, AI and online resources, and by organizing or joining discussion seminars, and think through special cases or simplified situations. A research wrap-up or bachelor thesis should present a complete survey of the problem, clear enough to explain it to fellow undergraduates.

The supervisor holds a weekly one-hour office hour for all undergraduate research students, in one-on-one or small-group form, with no need to reserve in advance. It is suggested that students report progress and raise questions every four weeks on average. Undergraduate research has a WeChat group; the supervisor is not in the group. Students are encouraged to talk with one another, share study paths, complement each other’s topic knowledge, and discuss details of the material. If an undergraduate wishes to pursue a master’s or PhD under the same supervisor after graduation, they must follow the corresponding master’s or PhD process, including the keyword survey presentation and a one-to-three-month trial period.

Discussion groups are open to PhD students or postdoctoral fellows who already have a supervisor, regardless of institution, with no formal supervisory relationship with the lab supervisor. Students and scholars who are not local may also participate online. Students of the lab supervisor are discussion group members by default. To join, meet with the supervisor once in person or online to clarify a general research direction aligned with lab research areas.

The lab will provide a list of topics suitable for different academic stages. Discussion group members may freely choose projects or collaborate internally, and may collaborate with students and scholars outside the lab if academically needed. Published papers must acknowledge in the acknowledgments that the topic was provided by the lab supervisor, and will be listed on the lab Publications page. When mutually suitable, joint supervision may be arranged.

The supervisor will hold weekly one-hour office hours, separate from the undergraduate office hours, either one-on-one or for members working on the same topic. All discussion group members who are not students of the lab supervisor may schedule a session in advance; if multiple members request sessions in the same week, each will be allotted 20–30 minutes.

The supervisor will periodically organize a group lunch at the university dining hall called Topological Group Lunch, aimed at giving students interested in topology a venue to meet and talk. Students and scholars inside and outside the lab are welcome; membership in the discussion group is not required.

The discussion group and Topological Group Lunch each have their own WeChat group; contact the supervisor to join. They are used for academic discussion, developing potential collaborations, and arranging event times, and the supervisor is not in the groups. Discussion group members may also organize reading groups or research seminars on their own, and the supervisor will suggest research papers. To announce an event more widely, contact the supervisor to list the time, place, topic, and organizers on the Seminars page.