Maryam Mirzakhani

Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian mathematician who made history in 2014. She became the first woman ever to win the Fields Medal, which is the biggest prize in math. She studied complex shapes and surfaces.

Growing Up in Iran

Maryam grew up in Tehran, Iran. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a writer. But in high school, she fell in love with math. She won gold medals at international math competitions as a teenager.

She went on to study at top universities and became a professor at Stanford University in California.

Her Amazing Work

Mirzakhani studied curved surfaces and how shapes behave on them. Imagine drawing lines on a ball or a donut shape. Her work helped mathematicians understand these tricky surfaces.

She was known for working on huge sheets of paper spread out on the floor. Her daughter said it looked like she was painting. Sadly, Mirzakhani passed away in 2017, but her work continues to inspire.

Fun Facts

• The Fields Medal is often called the Nobel Prize of mathematics.
• Mirzakhani won two gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad as a teenager.
• Her daughter once described her math work as painting.

Did You Know?

Since Maryam Mirzakhani's achievements, her birthday, May 12, has been declared the International Day of Women in Mathematics!