The Times: Maths prodigy Wang Pok Lo is equal to a PhD

A boy of 15 is well on his way to becoming the youngest British male to hold the title

He started reciting poetry at the age of one, studied with the Open University when he was nine and passed an A-level equivalent maths exam at the tender age of twelve.

Now Wang Pok Lo, a prodigy whose family moved to Scotland from Hong Kong, is poised to become the youngest British male to hold a PhD.

The 15-year-old, from South Queensferry, West Lothian, has been offered a place to study for a doctorate at the University of Edinburgh.

Known to fellow students at his comprehensive school as Pok, he gained a first-class honours degree in mathematics — after completing the Open University course in his spare time — aged 13. Last month he graduated with distinction from a master’s degree in statistics with medical applications at the University of Sheffield, gained via online learning.

Now Pok, a pupil at Queensferry Community High School, is hoping to make history after being accepted to study at one of Britain’s most competitive seats of learning.

The full online article can be found here.