Acclaimed mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, age 40

Maryam Mirzakhani, an acclaimed mathematician and the first and so far only woman to win the Fields Medal, has died aged 40.

In 2014, Mirzakhani was one of four winners of the Fields medal, which is presented every four years and is considered the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel prize.

She was named for her work on complex geometry and dynamic systems.

“Mirzakhani specialized in theoretical mathematics that read like a foreign language by those outside of mathematics: moduli spaces, Teichmüller theory, hyperbolic geometry, Ergodic theory and symplectic geometry,” the Stanford press announcement said.

“Mastering these approaches allowed Mirzakhani to pursue her fascination for describing the geometric and dynamic complexities of curved surfaces spheres, doughnut shapes and even amoebas – in as great detail as possible.”

Mirzakhani was born in Tehran and studied there and at Harvard before joining Stanford as a maths professor in 2008.

Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, told the Tehran Times: “The grievous passing of Maryam Mirzakhani, the eminent Iranian and world-renowned mathematician, is very much heart-rending.”

The newspaper also reported that Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said her death pained all Iranians.

Ms Mirzakhani is survived by her husband and a daughter.

Stanford president Marc Tessier-Lavigne said Mirzakhani was a brilliant theorist who made enduring contributions and inspired thousands of women to pursue careers in maths and science.

Maryam Mirzakhani.