Hi ahhaha; Re what Nash got the Economic Nobel prize for...
Nash was one of those rare geniuses (sp) that could tackle pretty much any problem. From reading his biography, it seems that other mathematicians were in the habit of trying to drop him a peg or two by suggesting that he was incapable of solving some (as yet unsolved) problem. Then he would go off and solve it. Eventually someone gave him a problem that he could not make progress on, perhaps that is why he went TU for 20 years.
The problem that he got the Nobel prize for was a remarkable generalization of John von Neumann's minimax game theory work. He did it apparently to prove that he was smarter than von Neumann. Here's a good link:
businessweek.com
When you take the core (as opposed to topical or advanced) graduate classes in mathematics, it is only rarely that you are exposed to a proof that was developed as recently as the (stunning) one in Topology that Nash nailed, almost as an afterthought. Amazingly, I found plenty of references to it on the web, from a google search for "Nash topology embedding theorem":
The Nash embedding theorem states that a Riemannian manifold embeds in some R^n isometrically. Here are some variants: ...
math.niu.edu
Google search:
google.com
I think that the above stuff was more important than the game theory work, but there being no Nobel prize in mathematics, and given that no one had ever awarded a Nobel prize to a paranoid schizophrenic, the committee decided to make a bit of a statement. As long as I'm on the subject, paranoid schizophrenia was what the Unabomber was diagnosed with. It is a hell of a lot more common affliction among mathematicians than the general public is aware, I knew several of them personally in grad school, though no one as "gifted" or famous as Nash, but they were plenty weird enough.
The official head shrinker opinion on both Nash and the Unabomber is paranoid schizophrenia. Here's some quotes from the legal cr@p that ended up published regarding the Unabomber. In it, multiple professionals evaluated him pretty much the same way:
David Foster, M.D., evaluated Mr. Kaczynski in late 1997 and opined that Mr. Kaczynski had an aversion to evaluation by psychiatrists and he suffered from Paranoid Schizophrenia.
...
The prosecution retained experts Phillip Resnick, M.D., and Park Dietz, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., did not have access to Mr. Kaczynski for interview, but based on review of erials and interview of people in the Lincoln, Montana area, they opined that Mr. Kaczynski would be capable of being evaluated by government psychiatrists and they saw no evidence that he suffered from delusions. They viewed his psychiatric problems as falling in the Schizoid or Schizotypal range of personality disorders.
...
[page 2]
IMPRESSIONS: According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, Fourth Edition I currently view Mr. Kaczynski as follows: Axis I: Schizophrenia, Paranoid Type, Episodic with Interepisode Residual Symptoms, 295.30 (Provisional) Axis II: Paranoid Personality Disorder, With Avoidant and Antisocial Features, 301.0 (Premorbid) Axis III: Status Post Tonsillectomy; Removal of Congenital Cyst of the Upper Jaw; Status Post Extraction of Wisdom Teeth; Status Post Fracture of Left Fifth Finger
Review of extensive collateral information and materials obtained through interviews, support at least on a provisional basis, a diagnosis of Schizophrenia, Paranoid Type, Episodic with Interepisode Residual Symptoms. Schizophrenia is a significant and complex major mental illness that is characterized by a mixture of characteristic signs and symptoms, in association with significant social and occupational dysfunction. The paranoid type of Schizophrenia is remarkable for the presence of preoccupation with one or more delusions, or auditory hallucinations in the context of relative preservation of cognitive functioning and affect. In Mr. Kaczynski's case, the symptom presentation involves preoccupation with two principle delusional beliefs. A delusion is defined as a false belief based on incorrect inference about external reality that is firmly sustained despite what all most everyone else believes, and despite what constitutes inconvertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary. Delusional thinking occurs on a continuum and it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between over valued ideas or preoccupations and delusional thinking. It is helpful at times, to review the belief system in association with the individuals behavior over time. In Mr. Kaczynski's case, it appears that in the mid to late 1960s he experienced the onset of delusional thinking involving being controlled by modern technology. He subsequently developed another strong-belief that his dysfunction in life, particularly his inability to establish a relationship with a female, was directly the result of extreme psychological verbal abuse by his parents. These ideas were embraced and embellished, and day to day behaviors and observations became incorporated into these ideas, which served to further strengthen Mr. Kaczynski's investment in these beliefs. Preoccupation with these issues has been an ongoing factor in his life. Review of his history suggests that his investment in these beliefs has varied somewhat over time, but there has been no period in the last 30 years in where he has shown a period of complete remission. Consistent with this diagnosis, for a significant portion of time since the onset of his illness, Mr. Kaczynski has shown marked social and occupational dysfunction in the areas of work, interpersonal relations, and possibly at times self-care. There is no clear evidence that this presentation is due to substance use, a general medical condition, or a mood disorder. Mr. Kaczynski's delusions are mostly persecutory in nature. The central themes involve his belief that he is being maligned and harassed by family members and modern society. Consistent with other individuals with persecutory types of delusions, he is resentful and angry, and fantasizes and actually does resort to violence against those individuals and organizations that he believes are hurting him. Mr. Kaczynski experiences ideas of reference, with his interpretation of these events being consistent with the persecutory nature of his delusional ideas. There is some indication that he may have also experienced erotomanic delusions. Although this issue has not been fully explored, it is evident that he has repeatedly developed idealized romantic attachments to women with whom he has little familiarity or contact. These women, for the most part, are unaware of the degree of his attachment. That he has maintained these idealized attachment over extended periods of time, is outlined extensively in his writings. [page 4]
abcnews.go.com
Another way of translating the above is to note that society is pretty good at deciding that everyone who doesn't fit the standard mold is crazy. I've certainly talked with enough schizophrenics who made more sense than the doctors that would like to fix them. [Edit: Oooh!!! Must be some shreds of Paranoid Schizophrenia leaking out of my nether brain there. Did I really write this?]
Reminds me. I once attended a campus lecture on the subject of something about insanity and heredity. In his introductory remarks, the professor noted that 60% (?) of the public could be classified as mentally abnormal in one way or another, and the most amazing thing about the profession is that they weren't able to nail the remainder.
-- Carl |
