Kenichi Fukui is a theoretical chemist whose career was devoted to explaining the nature of chemical reactions. His work is distinguished from that of other chemists by its mathematical structure, and he has made a major contribution to bridging the gap between quantum theory, a mathematical theory of the behavior of molecules and atoms, and practical chemistry. He made it easier both to understand and predict the course of chemical reactions, and he shared the 1981 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Roald Hoffmann for his achievements.

Fukui was born October 4, 1918, in Nara, on the island of Honshu, Japan. He was the eldest of three sons born to Chie and Ryokichi Fukui. His father was a merchant and factory manager who played a major role in shaping his son's career; he persuaded Fukui to study chemistry. Fukui had no interest in chemistry during high school, and he later described his...