NP: reclusive math genius turns down prize

[Michael Bailey]

I recently had the pleasure of reading _Perfect Rigor_ by Masha
Gessen.  Wonderful biographical background, I thought.  The math
component wasn't the emphasis, which was fine with me...
It's interesting to contemplate the phenomenon of nurturing talent
(like the tennis academy in Infinite Jest, eg) -
and whether it's true that intensive cultivation of one faculty can
crowd out common sense.

Sure seems to have done so in Grigory's case!  If he thought the
Hamilton guy was deserving, why not publicly cut him in for half the
money?  That action would make the history books - thus ensuring
proper credit to Mr Hamilton, if that's what he really cares about -
and still leave him half a mill...

I've read somewhere that he's given up math and is looking for a new
pursuit that will suit him better.  Hope he finds something - every
other mathematician I've ever read about seems to think it's the top,
the Mona Lisa


> Laura linked to
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100701/ap_on_sc/eu_sci_russia_math_genius
>



-- 
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Flippy zippy zippy,
Smippy gdippy gdippy, too!
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