strategic TechNotes — I would bet even money that this guy is no fun.
What emerged from news sources is a shy, somewhat insecure 40-year-old who prefers the abstract to the communal. An early indication of Perelman’s unorthodox method was the fact that the first publication of his proof wasn’t in a professional journal—it was posted on a math website in 2002. The peer review process began shortly thereafter by experts in the discipline, and today his work finally rests within the austere binders of professional journals.
A shadowy portrait of the recluse began to appear as international sources reported sometimes contradictory information. SABC (the South African Broadcasting Corp.) claimed it took him five years to solve the problem, and, as “the world’s biggest mathematics celebrity, [Perelman] shunned [the] most prestigious prize yesterday, apparently bitter at his perceived mistreatment by fellow intellectuals.” DNA (Daily News & Analysis) in India did manage to talk to him by phone, and Perelman said he spent the day of the awards at home watching television. The reporter went on: “Perelman refused to comment on the award. ‘I will not tell you anything. I refuse to give interviews,’ he said by telephone from his apartment in St. Petersburg. ‘I will not even tell you why I’m refusing to speak about the prize.’” In the same article, a former teacher offered, “I understand why he doesn’t want to be in contact with journalists; he’s a real sage, who is only interested in truth and not the chatter around it.”
Hmm, sounds like a Dvorak Uncensored reader, no?
He may well be.
This guy’s like the anti-Bush.
He’s one of the winners in life.
We need more like him, there’s getting to be too many whiners posting. Maybe John should sell memberships for about a grand a year to keep the rift raft out. 🙂
“[Perelman] shunned [the] most prestigious prize yesterday, apparently bitter at his perceived mistreatment by fellow intellectuals.”
In other words, those with enough Degrees/diplomas to wallpaper an entire wall treated him like Sh*t because he’s hasn’t earned what they had.
OR he’s just a weird guy.
I identify so much with him.
Hmm, sounds like a Dvorak Uncensored reader, no?
sarcasm, right?
DU readers are quite the opposite, I’ve noticed.
Grigory Perelman’s university job pays $300 a month, … But for a genius in the same league as Henri Poincaré, the $1 million seems deserved. So it’s perhaps no surprise that an American news service, CBS, made sure to point out that John Ball had asked Perelman if he would accept the million-dollar prize if it were offered to him. “Perelman said that if he won, he would talk to the Clay Institute.”
I have to love a guy with an attitude like that. Trying not to sound sarcastic, did he use a computer or pen and paper to figure this out?
Sounds like the guy has something rarer than genius; integrity.
*Golf clap*
Go worktiny (7) – I agree – oops, this would be chatter surrounding the truth … 🙂
I like the way he keeps things on his own terms. He never forgets that he is the genius, it is his work, he owes others no explanations.
Either way, this is just a beautiful thing; more so, since he didn’t take the money. The adage “The best things in life are free” is true; not even money could buy the solution.
He probably turned down the prize because so people wouldn’t confuse him with Paris Hilton.
Seriously though, can you think of two people who are more different?
Maybe John should sell memberships for about a grand a year to keep the rift raft out.
Is this sarcasm or do you actually fall victim to the idea that money is the dividing line between quality ideas and contributions and those that are “rift raft”? That would be ironic since this article proves just the opposite!
Sounds like a cool guy to me, but he should get his own appartment 🙂
Let’s all pitch in and get his eyebrows trimmed.
I got a kick out of NPR’s interview with a reporter trying to interview Perelman.
The reporter was concerned that Perelman wouldn’t want to be bothered at home, so they left messages that they would like to meet with him at a nearby place at a certain time – and waited in vain.
The reporter left a copy of the book A Beautiful Mind on Perelman’s doorstep – with a note requesting a meeting – because Nash had done work in the same field Perelman was interested in. No response.
The reporter finally tried knocking on Perelman’s door – expecting his Mother to answer – only to have Perelman himself open the door. He hadn’t checked any of his messages – and hadn’t read the book about Nash – but had seen the movie. 🙂
2006-08-28 New Yorker Article on Grigory Perelman
Integrity vs Celebrity and Integrity wins!!!
For once!
He looks a bit like Rasputin, he probably doesn’t bathe, and when I read about what he did my head hurts. I have absolutely no idea where I’m going with this, but then, how, I wonder, did he decide to do whatever this inconceivable thing (to me!) is; did he doodle a bit, forming his thoughts and theories as he went, or did he just sit down at his Mama’s kitchen table one day and start writing equations?
I do applaud his attitude toward the media, I wouldn’t mess with them, either.
he is the real man