The Humble Life of the Mathematician Who Rejected the 1 Million Prize

While we all want to be known, respected and loved by the society, some of us, despite their success, prefers isolation.

One of the names who prefer not to be in front of the society is the one who proved the “Poincaré Conjecture” that has not been solved for years and broke new ground in the world of mathematics. Grigory Perelman.

Note: Other Millennium Questions can be found in the related content at the end of the content.

What is the Poincaré Conjecture?

The Poincaré Conjecture is a mathematical assertion that a 3-dimensional sphere shape can be transformed into a topological sphere shape by any deformation, i.e. by shrinking or stretching. 1904 French mathematician, physicist and philosopher Henri Poincare introduced by.

Since it could not be proven for years, the Clay Mathematics Institute shared this assumption as the “Question of the Millennium” and announced that it would reward those who could prove it true.

The prize they determined for this assumption they shared in the early 2000s is the Nobel Prize in the field of mathematics. Fields Prize and $1 million.

In 2002, a mathematician named Grigori Perelman proved the Poincaré Conjecture.

Perelman not only proved the conjecture, but also published his 33-page solution on the open scientific archive site “Arxiv.org”, but “I don’t want to be famous. I’m not a circus monkey to be showcased. I just solved a question and it’s interesting that it was magnified like this.” saying refused the awards.

In addition, after his solution spread on the internet, he was in the solution at the invitations he attended. He stated that he benefited from the work of Richard Hamilton. and “I am a disciple of Hamilton, although I did not get his permission.” he said.

So who is Grigori Perelman?

full name Grigory Yakovlevich Perelman The mathematician of Jewish origin was born on June 13, 1966 in Saint Petersburg. Grigori’s mother was a mathematician like herself and gave up her graduate studies in order to raise him.

Also, when Grigori was only 10 years old mathematical ability showed himself, and his mother enrolled him in the after-school mathematics education program of Sergei Rukshin. In 1982, he took part in the International Mathematical Olympiad as a member of the Soviet team, where he won a gold medal.

At the age of 16 he entered the School of Mathematics and Mechanics of Leningrad State University and completed his doctorate. He later accepted a position at the State University of New York, but He couldn’t find what he was looking for in New York. Later, he rejected offers from the best universities in the USA and returned to Saint Petersburg Steklov Institute in 1995.

Why didn’t he accept the awards despite causing such an important development in the world of mathematics?

Although many people think that he does not accept the awards because he is too rich, Perelman is in a way that can be understood at first glance. in a poor state he was living.

The main reasons for rejecting the awards are that his solution was accepted after 4 years and some mathematicians in the USA lack of due respect hence his dignity.

Although there are thousands of people wondering about him, Perelman continues his life in isolation from society.

Today, Perelman with her mother He lives in a very neglected house, on his savings from the time he worked or on his mother’s pension.

In some sources, Perelman’s accepting the prize money to continue his mathematics education information is included.

Other Millennium Questions: