Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1979

Professor Y. C Wong, OBE, BSc, PhD, DSc, JP Professor Y. C. Wong, believe it or not, is a four-dimensional man. A trail-blazing mathematician of world reputation, his two remarkable books, Linear Geometry in Euclidean 4-space and Isoclinic n-planes in Euclidean 2n-space, Clifford parallels in elliptic (2n-1)-space, and the Hurwitz matrix equations, togeth with over 40 research papers, have been hailed as the first to show conclusively that geometry in four dimensions, due to the very particular and exceptional character of its groups, is much more interesting than geometry in three dimensions. These gripping books should be compulsory reading for all adventure fans. Professor Wong attained his Bachelor of Science degree from Sun Yat-sen University in 1935, and two doctoral degrees, Ph.D. in 1940 and Doctor of Science in 1947，from London University. At the University of Hong Kong, where he assumed the Chair in Mathematics in 1948 at the age of 35, Professor Wong provided intellectual guidance of the first order for 29 years. He also served as Head of the Department of Mathematics and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering from 1950 to 1953, and Pro- Vice-Chancellor from 1963 to 1966. In recognition of his notable and dedicated service, the University of Hong Kong conferred on him the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science in 1968, and appointed him Emeritus Professor of Mathematics upon his retiremen in 1976. If the University of Hong Kong is Professor Wong's home base, then Hong Kong and Southeast Asia is his field and the whole world his stadium. He has been, inter alia, the Founding President of the Southeast Asian Mathematical Society, a research associate of several leading American universities, and is the Honorary President of the Hong Kong Mathematical Society. It is appropriate that a special issue of the Southeast Asian Bulletin ofMathematics to honour Professor Wong is now in the press. The Chinese University is also indebted to him, for he has been a most valued member of the University Council since its inception in 1963. For his signal scholarship and his esteemed leadership in promoting the mathematics profession of the region, I now ask you, Mr. Vice-Chancellor, to confer on Professor Y. C. Wong the degree of Doctor of Literature, honoris causa.