Women in Mathematics: Maryam Mirzakhani’s Legacy

Every May 12, we celebrate International Women in Mathematics Day, a date that aims to draw attention to the contributions of women in this discipline and inspire new generations.
This day was born in honor of Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian mathematician who transformed our way of understanding geometry and left a permanent mark.

From Letters to Numbers

Maryam was born in 1977 in Tehran, Iran. As a child, she dreamed of writing novels, but later she discovered another language that caught her — mathematics.
At the age of 17, she won her first gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad. The following year, she did it again, this time with a perfect score. She was the first Iranian student to achieve this.
Her talent was undisputed, and it was just beginning.

Women in Mathematics: A Brilliant Mind that Broke Down Barriers

Maryam studied mathematics at Sharif University. She earned her doctoral degree at Harvard University. During her career, she specialized in complex fields such as:

• Hyperbolic geometry
• Moduli space theory
• Riemannian surface dynamics

Her work connected different branches of mathematics and opened up new ways of thinking about fundamental problems. In 2009, she was appointed professor at Stanford University, and her prestige was already global.

An Award that Made History

In 2014, Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman (and the first Iranian) to receive the Fields Medal, the highest recognition in mathematics.
Since its creation in 1936, no woman had been awarded. Maryam’s achievement was historic and also symbolic — she demonstrated that women have a leading role in science.
As she herself said upon receiving the award,
“I will be happy if this encourages young women scientists and mathematicians.”

International Women in Mathematics Day

In 2019, May 12 was officially declared as International Women in Mathematics Day. The date was chosen to honor the birth of Maryam Mirzakhani.
This day is an invitation to acknowledge the contributions of women in this science, open more doors, and build a future where women in mathematics have more opportunities to grow and lead.
Maryam’s story is an inspiration to many because behind every formula, there is also imagination, passion, and courage.