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.
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.