Iranian Woman Becomes 1st Female Winner Of ‘Math Nobel’

President Park Geun-hye presenting prize to Professor Maryam Mirzakhani

An Iranian mathematician working in the US has become the first ever female winner of the celebrated Fields Medal, often described as the "Nobel Prize in Mathematics" reports RT/BBC.
She is the first female winner of the International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, also known as the Fields Medal, which has been awarded every four years since 1936.

In a landmark hailed as "long overdue", Prof Maryam Mirzakhani was recognised for her work on complex geometry.

Four of the medals were presented in Seoul at the International Congress of Mathematicians, held every four years.

Also among the winners was Prof Martin Hairer from the University of Warwick, UK, whose work on randomness could prove useful for climate modelling.

Mirzakhani, 37, a professor at Stanford University in California, is among the four 2014 awardees of the world’s top math prize.

Prof Maryam Mirzakhani was given the Fields Medal for her work on complex geometry

Mirzakhani received her medal at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Seoul, South Korea, from the country’s first-ever female president, Park Geun-hye.

"This is a great honor,” Mirzakhani said, according to Stanford University’s website. “I will be happy if it encourages young female scientists and mathematicians. I am sure there will be many more women winning this kind of award in the coming years."

Mirzakhani was born and grew up in Tehran, Iran. As a child she was more fascinated by the world of literature than by numbers and geometry, dreaming of becoming a writer. In her later years at school, however, she discovered a particular pleasure and exceptional skill in solving math problems.

"It is fun – it's like solving a puzzle or connecting the dots in a detective case," she said. "I felt that this was something I could do, and I wanted to pursue this path."