Overview
- Japanese outlets report that Hironaka died on March 18, 2026, at age 94.
- He received the 1970 Fields Medal for resolving singularities of algebraic varieties, becoming Japan’s second recipient after Kunihiko Kodaira.
- A specialist in algebraic geometry, he earned doctorates from Harvard in 1960 and Kyoto in 1963 before professorships at Columbia from 1964 and at Harvard from 1968 to 1992.
- His leadership posts included directing Kyoto University’s Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences and serving as president of Yamaguchi University from 1996 to 2002.
- His honors and outreach included the Order of Culture in 1975, Japan Academy membership from 1976, France’s Legion of Honour in 2004, the launch of the “Suuri no Tsubasa” summer seminar in 1980, and the start of the children’s “Sansu (Arithmetic) Olympics” in 1992.