German Media Reflects on Death of “Iranian Numerical Genius”
The news of Maryam Mirzakhani’s death, in addition to Iran, received extensive coverage in international media. German media outlets published the news of her passing with praise for this mathematician. “Der Spiegel” and “Süddeutsche Zeitung” were among these outlets.
The German-language website Deutsche Welle referred to Maryam Mirzakhani as a “genius of numbers.” Deutsche Welle began its article with news of this prominent mathematician’s death and its cause, then proceeded to cover Mirzakhani’s life and scientific activities. The author of this piece referenced Mirzakhani’s prestigious scientific award – the Fields Medal – which this mathematician received for her work in the field of symmetry of curved surfaces.
In one section of the Deutsche Welle article, a description from Stanford University – where Mirzakhani worked – was mentioned about her working methods: Mirzakhani would draw geometric designs on paper and write mathematical formulas around them; her daughter consequently called her mother’s work “painting.”
The website of German newspaper “Die Welt” is another media outlet in this country that covered Mirzakhani’s death. “Die Welt” began its article with the phrase “Stanford mourns the loss of a great scientist.” This outlet also referenced Mirzakhani’s “Nobel Prize in Mathematics” (the Fields Medal) and noted that the British journal “Nature” included this deceased Iranian mathematician’s name in its list of the 10 best researchers of 2014.
The German website “Deutschlandfunk” also published news on the occasion of Mirzakhani’s death, describing her as a “prominent Iranian mathematician” and covering the details of her life and scientific achievements.
“Sudden Stop to a Legendary Journey”
On the website of German magazine “Der Spiegel,” reference was made to the “legendary journey” of Maryam Mirzakhani’s life that “suddenly” ended; it was also noted that when the “Fields Medal” was awarded in Seoul, South Korea, the audience applauded most enthusiastically for Maryam Mirzakhani.
Der Spiegel, while describing Mirzakhani’s life and field of work, quoted one of her statements from an interview about her work: “I don’t easily lose my motivation. I am optimistic about solving problems.” This German publication concludes: She ultimately lost her battle with cancer.
The German newspaper “Süddeutsche Zeitung” also began its report of her death by introducing Mirzakhani. It then referred to her field of activity: primarily abstract geometric spaces; the characteristics of lines, curves, and complex geometric drawings. This German newspaper emphasizes that Mirzakhani’s research fields were highly specialized and not well known outside the circle of experts; yet the achievements in this field are nonetheless useful for numerous other fields such as theoretical physics, engineering, or cryptography.
“Süddeutsche Zeitung” concluded its article with a statement from Marc Tessier-Lavigne, president of Stanford University: “Maryam left us far too soon. But her influence on thousands of women who were inspired by her to serve mathematics and science will endure.”
Maryam Mirzakhani was born on April 3, 1977, in Tehran. After completing her primary education and participating in the first selection of outstanding talents, she entered Farzanegan High School in Tehran. Mirzakhani continued her university studies at the Mathematics Department of Sharif University of Technology, then after completing her bachelor’s degree, she went to Harvard University, and after obtaining her doctorate with distinction, she worked as a professor at the renowned Princeton University. She had been teaching at Stanford University since 2008.
Mirzakhani had long suffered from breast cancer, and it was reported that the disease had returned four times but had been controlled. Recently, however, the cancer had spread to her bones as well. News of her hospitalization and deteriorating condition in recent days had been reported by the media.
Source: DW
