Remembering Yan Weimin: The Pioneer Behind China's Iconic Data Structures Textbook

Recently the academic and computer science communities mourned the loss of Tsinghua University professor Yan Weimin, a distinguished figure in Chinese computing.

Yan, together with Wu Weimin, authored the classic textbook Data Structures , which has become a required reading and core curriculum material for computer science students across the nation.

The book is renowned for its professional depth and rigorous logic, and Yan, along with Xie Xiren, Tang Shuofei, and Tang Ziying, is celebrated as part of the “Four Great Teams” in computer science graduate exam preparation.

Known for her meticulous teaching style and high expectations, Yan’s exams were famously difficult and extensive, producing graduates who are both technically solid and disciplined.

Students and former pupils consistently remark that only Yan’s courses truly embody academic rigor, and despite her low public profile, her influence is profound within the computing community.

Her contributions extend beyond Tsinghua; many self‑taught programmers and non‑CS majors credit her textbook and video lectures for guiding them into the field of computer science.

Colleagues on Weibo, including Tsinghua professor Ma Shaoping, praised Yan as one of the earliest educators to teach data structures in China, noting that her textbook has impacted multiple generations.

Yan’s passing was quietly announced within academic circles, and a modest farewell ceremony was scheduled for December 14.

Images of Yan and related tribute moments are included below.

Yan Weimin’s foundational work in data structures remains indisputable; may she rest in peace.