bˈɔːɹn ɪn sˈʌʒuː, dʒjɑːŋsˈuː pɹˈɑːvɪns ˌɔn twˈɛnti sˈɪks mˈeɪ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi fˈoːɹ, hiː ˈɛntɚd ðə dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt ʌv mˌæθɪmˈæɾɪks ænd mᵻkˈænɪks ʌv piːkˈɪŋ jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti tˈuː ænd əbtˈeɪnd ɐ pˈoʊstɡɹɐdʒˌuːeɪt dᵻɡɹˈiː ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti wˈʌn ɐdvˈaɪzd baɪ mˈɪn sˈɪh, ɐ stˈuːdənt ʌv ˈɛdwɚd tʃˈɑːɹlz tˈɪtʃmɑːɹʃ.
Born in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province on 26 May 1934, he entered the Department of Mathematics and Mechanics of Peking University in 1952 and obtained a postgraduate degree in 1961 advised by Min Sihe, a student of Edward Charles Titchmarsh.