“I never thought I would pursue mathematics until my last year in high school,”
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Maryam Mirzakhani
Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian mathematician and a professor of mathematics at Stanford University. Her research focused on hyperbolic geometry, dynamical systems, complex analysis, and topology. In 2014, she was awarded the Fields Medal for her work in "the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces", becoming the first woman and the first Iranian citizen to win the prize…
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science · Iranian mathematician (1977–2017) · mathematician · university teacher · topologist · also Maryam Mirzakhani, M. Mirzakhani, Mirzakhani
Born 12 May 1977 · Died 14 July 2017 · Q1771279
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2026· 3 entries
“the unprecedented brilliance of this creative scientist and modest human being, who made Iran”
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Public attention spiked: 5,002 Wikipedia readers in one day, 10.9× the usual 457, with 2 article edits. Editors noted: added authorlink for Erica Klarreich
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2024· 1 entry
The International Astronomical Union named the lunar crater Mirzakhani in her honor
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2020· 1 entry
George Csicsery featured her in the documentary film Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani
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2019· 2 entries
Forbes: The Breakthrough Prize In Mathematics Named After Maryam Mirzakhani, A Famed Female Mathematician
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SpaceNews: Breakthrough Prize Foundation Announces Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize for Women Mathematicians
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2017· 11 entries
The Express Tribune: Maryam Mirzakhani belonged to humanity
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People: Maryam Mirzakhani, First Woman to Receive the Prestigious Fields Medal, Dies at the Age of 40 After Breast Cancer Battle
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The Financial Express: Maths genius Maryam Mirzakhani, first woman to win coveted Fields Medal dead at 40
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NDTV: Maryam Mirzakhani Mathematician
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Yahoo: Maryam Mirzakhani, award-winning mathematician, dies at 40
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Los Angeles Times: Maryam Mirzakhani, the only woman to win math’s Fields Medal, dies at 40 after battle with breast cancer
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Died 2017-07-14.
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Farzanegan High School – the high school Mirzakhani formerly attended – named their amphitheater and library after her
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“It's not only the question, but the way you try to solve it.”
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“I don’t think that everyone should become a mathematician, but I do believe that many students don’t give mathematics a real chance.”
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Asteroid 321357 Mirzakhani was named in her memory
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2016· 2 entries
Mirzakhani was made a member of the National Academy of Sciences (of the United States), making her the first Iranian woman to be officially accepted as a member of the academy
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The cancer spread to her bones and liver, and she died on 14 July 2017 at the age of 40 at Stanford Hospital in Stanford, California
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2015· 1 entry
Elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2015
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2014· 8 entries
Awarded Nature's 10 (2014).
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Awarded Clay Research Award (2014).
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Won Fields medal (2014).
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For "her outstanding contributions to the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces"
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With Alex Eskin and with input from Amir Mohammadi, Mirzakhani proved that complex geodesics and their closures in moduli space are surprisingly regular, rather than irregular or fractal
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Was awarded the Fields Medal for her work in "the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces", becoming the first woman and the first Iranian citizen to win the prize
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President Hassan Rouhani of Iran congratulated her for winning the award
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Students at the University of Oxford founded the Mirzakhani Society, a society for women and non-binary students studying mathematics at the University of Oxford
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2013· 1 entry
Awarded Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize in Mathematics (2013).
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2010· 1 entry
On the topic of "Topology and Dynamical Systems & ODE"
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2009· 2 entries
Awarded Blumenthal Award (2009).
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Became a professor at Stanford University
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2008· 1 entry
Mirzakhani married Jan Vondrák, a Czech theoretical computer scientist and applied mathematician who is a professor at Stanford University
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2004· 2 entries
From Harvard University, where she worked under the supervision of the Fields Medalist, Curtis T
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Studied at Harvard University, Doctor of Philosophy (2004).
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1999· 3 entries
Before earning her doctorate from Harvard University in 2004 under the supervision of Curtis T
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Studied at Sharif University of Technology (1999).
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Obtained a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the Sharif University of Technology
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1995· 1 entry
Was on decomposing complete tripartite graphs into 5-cycles
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1994· 2 entries
Mirzakhani became the first Iranian woman to win a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad in Hong Kong, scoring 41 out of 42 points
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Career landmark: Participated in International Mathematical Olympiad (tournament / event).
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1977· 1 entry
Born 1977-05-12.
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