Math Genius Refuses Million Dollar Prize
Grigori Perelman, a resident of St. Petersberg, Russia is perhaps one of the greatest mathematical minds the world has ever seen. So great, in fact, that the Clay Mathematics Institute in Cambridge, MA awarded him the “Millennium” mathematics prize, a one million dollar award. Shockingly, Perelman refused to accept the award and has since ignored all outside attempts to get in touch with him.
Perelman was given the award for solving the one hundred year old Poincare conjecture, a mathematical problem so complex that he turned in his proofs in 2002 and it took experts until now to confirm that he was correct.
The Millennium prize is the second prestigious award that Perelman has refused to accept, leading many to give him the nickname of “Mathsputin.” He lives an extremely humble life with his mother and sister in a small, nearly unfurnished apartment in St. Petersberg. Those who see him constantly say that he wears the same tattered clothing constantly, and rarely, cuts his nails or trims his beard. A neighbor commented that the one time they were able to see the inside of his home, they noticed that he only had a table, a stool, and a bed with a mattress that was left by the previous apartment dwellers.
Apparently, after teaching in American universities in 2003, Perelman decided to leave mathematics, dismayed with the quality of his peers. Now, he spends most of his time playing table tennis up against a wall in his apartment. Multiple charities have tried to reach him, begging for him to accept the money and donate it. One millions dollars could go so far to help many unfortunate families in Russia.
It’s tough to understand how one of the most intelligent men this world has ever seen can behave in such a way. But many times, genius of his caliber is relegated to a recluse life, hidden away from those who couldn’t ever comprehend the workings of their mind. It is at once a very peculiar and very lonely existence.
To read the original article, please go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/grigori-perelman-reclusiv_n_511938.html