Ci Yungui

Ci Yungui (, 1917–1990), male, born in Tongcheng, Anhui Province, was a Chinese computer scientist widely honored as "the father of China's supercomputers". He led the development of China's first vacuum‑tube digital computer prototype, first transistorized general‑purpose computer and first supercomputer. Most of the researchers who successfully developed the "Galaxy" and "Tianhe-1" supercomputer series were his students. In 1980, Ci Yungui was elected an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Early life and education Ci Yungui was born in Tongcheng, Anhui Province of China in 1917. He graduated from Tongcheng Middle School in 1935 and later attended Hunan University, initially in mechanical engineering before transferring to the electrical engineering program due to wartime disruptions. He completed his degree in 1943 and was recommended to the graduate program of the Radio Research Institute of Tsinghua University at Southwest Associated University in Kunming.

In 1946, he was sent to the United Kingdom to study radar systems, returning later that year to join the faculty of Tsinghua University's Physics Department.

Academic and professional career Tsinghua University (1946–1950) Ci served as a teaching assistant and lecturer in physics, helping establish the university's early radio laboratories.

Changsha Institute of Technology & National University of Defense Technology (1970–1984) In 1970, Ci moved to Changsha, where he founded and chaired the Department of Electronic Computers, led the Computer Research Institute, and later served as Vice President of the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT). In 1980, Ci Yungui was elected an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Establishing China's first naval radar and sonar engineering training programs Designing the 901 digital computer prototype (1958) Leading the development of China's first transistorized general‑purpose computers Pioneering integrated‑circuit computer design in the 1970s Leading the successful development of China's first supercomputer capable of operating at 100 million calculations per second, ushering in a new era for the country's computer industry. Publishing over 100 academic papers and co‑authoring several English‑language monographs.

Honors and recognition Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (1980)