Perfect Rigor: A Genius and the Mathematical Breakthrough of the Century

Gessen, Masha

ISBN 10: 015101406X / ISBN 13: 9780151014064

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Perfect Rigor: A Genius and the Mathematical Breakthrough of the Century
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 015101406X
• ISBN 13: 9780151014064
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

A gripping and tragic tale that sheds rare light on the unique burden of genius

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In 2006, an eccentric Russian mathematician named Grigori Perelman solved the Poincare Conjecture, an extremely complex topological problem that had eluded the best minds for over a century. A prize of one million dollars was offered to anyone who could unravel it, but Perelman declined the winnings, and in doing so inspired journalist Masha Gessen to tell his story. Drawing on interviews with Perelmanâ s teachers, classmates, coaches, teammates, and colleagues in Russia and the United Statesâ and informed by her own background as a math whiz raised in Russiaâ Gessen uncovered a mind of unrivaled computational power, one that enabled Perelman to pursue mathematical concepts to their logical (sometimes distant) end. But she also discovered that this very strength turned out to be Perelman's undoing and the reason for his withdrawal, first from the world of mathematics and then, increasingly, from the world in general.

About the Author

MASHA GESSEN has written for Slate, the New Republic, Vanity Fair, the New York Times, and other publications. The author of three previous books, she lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.