My Education in Mathematics

As a student in Iran, I was fortunate to have a couple of excellent teachers in mathematics. Perhaps the best mathematics teacher I had in school was a hardworking instructor with the surname "As'adi." From Ostad Parviz Shahriari I have learned a lot, both directly and indirectly. The general academic atmosphere, that I experienced in Iran, was not what I expected and I was not satisfied with it. However, during my undergraduate studies, I benefited greatly from "Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Ebrahimi" (abstract algebra) and "Dr. Zahra Gouya" (mathematics education). My interest in "commutative algebra" was sparked by the positive contributions of "Siamak Yassemi" in university-level mathematics. It was during a workshop on homological methods in commutative algebra held at IPM in 2002 that I first became acquainted with Professor Dr. Winfried Bruns. The first picture shows me sitting around the table with Prof. Bruns and his friend, Professor Dr. Jürgen Herzog (1941-2024), at the time. The other mathematician is Professor Leif Melkersson.

In 2006, I moved to Osnabrück city in Germany to write my doctoral thesis under the supervision of Professor Bruns. The lovely atmosphere of Osnabrück University as well as the kindness of Professor Bruns helped me to learn and conduct my research in the mathematical field of algebra in a way that I had always dreamed. Whenever he was in his office, his door was always open to me and I had permission to enter and ask my questions in mathematics. In 2011, I successfully defended my thesis after working hard for more than four years. The second picture belongs to my defense session. 

I am always grateful to Prof. Bruns; the teacher who empowered me in mathematics and showed me how to use my creativity and intelligence.

The computer science workshop led by the esteemed professor "Manfred Kudlek" from Hamburg University, held in Tarragona, Spain, in 2006, was extremely impactful. He was the first teacher who encouraged me to work in the field of "semiring theory." 

Outside the university setting, for 11 years, I gained profound knowledge from "Ostad Abdollah Anwar" in fields such as "mathematical logic," "Wittgenstein's philosophy," and, of course, "Persian literature."

Later, during my teaching career at Iranian universities, I also benefited from the guidance of "Dr. Dara Moazami." I am extremely grateful to all of them to this day.