The Department of Mathematics of Nanjing University originated from the Department of Mathematics of Central University and the Department of Mathematics of Jinling University. CUHK Mathematics Department was formerly the Mathematics Department of Nanjing Normal University, which was founded in 1920, and its founder was Professor Xiong Qinglai. 1952, the department of astronomy of Nanjing University was reorganized and established by colleges and universities; 1958, astronomy was separated from the astronomy department to form the computer department; 1978 computer technology was separated from the mathematics department to establish the computer department; Since then, the basic pattern of the Department of Mathematics has remained unchanged.

Since 1999, according to the requirements of the Ministry of Education, the original undergraduate majors such as mathematics, computational mathematics and its application software, statistics and probability, operational research and applied mathematics have been merged into three undergraduate majors: mathematics and applied mathematics, information and computational science and statistics; The Department has been identified by the Ministry of Education as one of the few first-class doctoral programs in mathematics (that is, it can train master students and doctoral students in all directions of mathematics), and has a postdoctoral mobile station, thus forming a complete training system for undergraduates, master students, doctoral students and postdoctoral students.

1988, the department of basic mathematics was rated as a national key discipline.

In 2000, basic mathematics was once again rated as a national key discipline.

In 2007, mathematics in this department became a national first-class key discipline.