One part of the plan called for shifting to saliva-based DNA samples obtained from mathematically gifted people, including Chinese who had participated in mathematics or science Olympiad training camps.

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"That article was a misunderstanding of the culture of mathematics and a misunderstanding of Chinese culture, " he says.

FORBES: Plugging a Math Gap

Yau has long been on a mission: to boost what he sees as the low level of mathematics in China and raise the profile of Chinese mathematicians.

FORBES: Plugging a Math Gap

After earning mathematics and computer-science degrees at Eastern Michigan University, Chinese national Maria Zhang worked for Microsoft and Zillow, an online real-estate firm, before starting a mobile technology company, called Propeld, in Bellevue in late 2010.

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