In this episode of pplpod, we explore the brilliant life and enduring legacy of Maryam Mirzakhani, the Iranian mathematician who made history in 2014 by becoming the first woman and the first Iranian to be awarded the Fields Medal, the most prestigious prize in mathematics.

Born in Tehran in 1977, Mirzakhani displayed a remarkable talent for math early on, winning back-to-back gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad and achieving a perfect score in 1995. We trace her academic journey from the Sharif University of Technology to Harvard University, where she completed her PhD under the supervision of Fields Medalist Curtis T. McMullen,.

We also dive into her groundbreaking research on hyperbolic geometry, Teichmüller theory, and the dynamics of Riemann surfaces. Listeners will learn about her unique working style; describ ...