Office: (852) 2358-7451, Fax: (852) 2358-1643, E-mail: mameng@ust.hk
Last modified: August 16, 2026
Guowu Meng is a Professor at HKUST. He joined the university in Fall 1993. Professor Meng was a CUSPEA student in class 1986 from USTC. He switched to mathematics in 1989. His Ph.D. field of research is topology, and his thesis advisor is Thomas Goodwillie.
Professor Meng is best known mathematically as the "Meng" in Meng-Taubes Formula. This formula is a fundamental result in three- and four-dimensional topology. It links the modern Seiberg-Witten theory for smooth four-manifolds to the classical Alexander theory for knots, links, and three-manifolds. The formula states (essentially) that each coefficient of the multi-variable Alexander polynomial of a knot, link, or three-manifold is precisely the number of solutions (counted with signs) of the static Seiberg-Witten equations for a specific topological setup.
In recent years, Professor Meng's mathematical research has centered on the Kepler problem --- a mathematical model that describes either a single-planet solar system, in its classical formulation, or a one-electron atom, in its quantum mechanical counterpart. The overarching aim of this work is to uncover the mathematical essence of this fundamental model and to explore how the insights gained from this exploration might offer a clue to fundamental physics.
Two unexpected discoveries have emerged from this investigation. The first is a link between the classical Kepler problem and the signature mathematical structures in the theory of relativity, including the light cone, Lorentz transformations, timelike geodesics, the Poincare algebra, and the de Sitter and anti-de Sitter algebras. The second is the realization that the mathematical core of both the Kepler problem (inverse-square law) and the oscillator problem (Hooke's law) resides in the formally real Jordan algebra.
Department of Mathematics, Hong Kong University of
Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong
Office: (852) 2358-7451,
Fax: (852) 2358-1643,
E-mail: mameng@ust.hk
Last modified: August 16, 2026