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John Forbes Nash

John Forbes Nash Books

Mathematician

John Forbes Nash was an American mathematician known for his contributions to game theory and differential geometry. His concept of Nash equilibrium, proposed in the 1950s, has had a profound impact on economics, political science, and computer science. Nash earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1948 and taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His personal life was marked by significant challenges, including a long-term severe mental illness. Despite this, he was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1994 for his exceptional mathematical achievements.

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“It's better to be dead, or even perfectly well, than to suffer from the wrong affliction. The man who owns up to arthritis in a beri-beri year is as lonely as a woman in a last month's dress.”

Men Years Wells Lasts Suffering He Man Months Lonely Dresses Affliction Arthritis

Author:John Forbes Nash

“Gradually I began to intellectually reject some of the delusionally influenced lines of thinking which had been characteristic of my orientation. This began, most recognizably, with the rejection of politically-oriented thinking as essentially a hopeless waste of intellectual effort.”

Thinking Lines Effort Waste Intellectual Rejection Characteristics Rejects Hopeless Orientation

Author:John Forbes Nash

“Statistically, it would seem improbable that any mathematician or scientist, at the age of 66, would be able through continued research efforts, to add much to his or her previous achievements. However I am still making the effort and it is conceivable that with the gap period of about 25 years of partially deluded thinking providing a sort of vacation my situation may be atypical. Thus I have hopes of being able to achieve something of value through my current studies or with any new ideas that come in the future.”

“Nowadays we can do computer experiments using Mathematica, and even solve a system of 42 equations. This offers another route to knowledge, rather than mere ideas.”

Ideas Science Can Do Offers Computer Mathematics Mere Solve Experiments Routes Equations

Author:John Forbes Nash

“Rationality of thought imposes a limit on a person's concept of his relation to the cosmos.”

Persons Limits Concepts Relation Cosmos Rationality

Author:John Forbes Nash

“I never saw my grandfather because he had died before I was born, but I have good memories of my grandmother and of how she could play the piano at the old house.”

Play House Born Memories Saws Died Piano Grandmother Grandfather My Grandmother My Grandfather Good Memories Old Houses

Author:John Forbes Nash

“I later spent... five to eight months in hospitals in New Jersey, always on an involuntary basis, and always attempting a legal argument for release.”

Five Months Argument Bases Eight Release Hospitals Attempting Jersey New Jersey Involuntary

Author:John Forbes Nash

“I seem to be thinking rationally again in the style that is characteristic of scientists. However this is not entirely a matter of joy as if someone returned from physical disability to good physical health.”

Ifs Thinking Matter Seems Joy Style Scientist Characteristics Disability Physical Health

Author:John Forbes Nash

“Though I had success in my research both when I was mad and when I was not, eventually I felt that my work would be better respected if I thought and acted like a 'normal' person.”

Ifs Persons Would Be Felt Normal Research Mad

Author:John Forbes Nash

“I had been offered fellowships to enter as a graduate student at either Harvard or Princeton. But the Princeton fellowship was somewhat more generous, since I had not actually won the Putnam competition... Thus Princeton became the choice for my graduate study location.”

Choices Study Students Competition Generous Graduates Location Fellowship Harvard Graduate Students Princeton

Author:John Forbes Nash

“In a dream it's typical not to be rational.”

Dream Rational Typical

Author:John Forbes Nash

“There are things that tend to moderate with age. Schizophrenia is somewhat like that.”

Age Moderates Schizophrenia

Author:John Forbes Nash

“I have made the most important discovery of my career, the most important discovery of my life: It is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logic or reasons can be found.”

Love Life Made Important Reason Found Discovery Mysterious Logical Equations Beautiful Mind

Author:John Forbes Nash

“Classes will dull your mind, destroy the potential for authentic creativity.”

Mind Class Creativity Dull Beautiful Mind Dull Minds

Author:John Forbes Nash

“As you will find in multivariable calculus, there is often a number of solutions for any given problem.”

Problem Given Numbers Solutions Calculus

Author:John Forbes Nash

“I would not dare to say that there is a direct relation between mathematics and madness, but there is no doubt that great mathematicians suffer from maniacal characteristics, delirium and symptoms of schizophrenia.”

Suffering Doubt Direct Madness Relation Mathematics Dare Math Characteristics No Doubt Mathematician Symptoms Schizophrenia Delirium

Author:John Forbes Nash

“I know that if I could really understand mental illness, then it would be appropriate to make a big career shift. I would become a therapist and a leader in terms of mental illness. But I'm not in the position.”

Ifs Knows Bigs Would Be Term Leader Careers Position Illness Mental Illness If I Could Appropriate Therapists Understand Me

Author:John Forbes Nash

“In madness, I thought I was the most important person in the world.”

World Persons Important Madness Important Person Most Important Person

Author:John Forbes Nash

“To some extent, people who are insane are nonconformists, and society and their family wish they would live what appear to be useful lives.”

People Wish Insane Useful Life

Author:John Forbes Nash

“People are always selling the idea that people with mental illness are suffering. I think madness can be an escape. If things are not so good, you maybe want to imagine something better.”

People Ifs Thinking Want Ideas Suffering Imagine Madness Illness Mental Illness Selling Something Better

Author:John Forbes Nash

About the Author

Born: June 13, 1928
Died: May 23, 2015
Known for: Mathematician
Quotes: 20

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