In the early 2000s, a young graduate student at Harvard University began to chart an exotic mathematical universe — one inhabited by shapes that defy geometric intuition. Her name was Maryam Mirzakhani, and she would go on to become the first woman to win a Fields Medal, math’s highest honor.
Years After the Early Death of a Math Genius, Her Ideas Gain New Life
I read an article on Maryam Mirzakhani years ago that for some reason sticks in my mind for reasons unknown. I remember a picture of her on the floor doodling the shapes in the pix.
I thought about this just recently in fact and so was surprised to see the above article that said she died at 40 in 2017 but her work now has a major advance.
The fact that she was an Iranian woman and that her work showed genius likely contributed to my memory. Memory loves unique things and events. Stephen Hawking and Alan Turing also come to mind as socially distinct geniuses.