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

Masha Gessen

HarperCollins, Nov 11, 2009 - Biography & Autobiography - 256 pages

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

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 Perelman’s teachers, classmates, coaches, teammates, and colleagues in Russia and the United States—and informed by her own background as a math whiz raised in Russia—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.

• Biography of a Genius: Follow the story of Grigori Perelman, from the specialized math schools of the Soviet Union to his groundbreaking proof and eventual, heartbreaking seclusion.
• The Poincaré Conjecture: Discover the history behind one of mathematics' greatest puzzles, the million-dollar Millennium Prize offered for its solution, and the controversy that followed.
• History of Mathematics: Delve into the fascinating and often brutal world of Russian mathematics, where intellectual purity battled against the pressures of the Soviet state.
• Narrative Nonfiction: Based on exhaustive interviews, Masha Gessen's investigation pieces together the puzzle of a man whose mind could solve the universe but who chose to disappear from it.

Contents

• 1 Escape into the Imagination: 1
• 2 How to Make a Mathematician: 16
• 3 A Beautiful School: 33
• 4 A Perfect Score: 60
• 5 Rules for Adulthood: 81
• 6 Guardian Angels: 102
• 7 Round Trip: 112
• 8 The Problem: 131
• 9 The Proof Emerges: 148
• 10 The Madness: 170
• 11 The MillionDollar Question: 200
• Acknowledgments: 213
• Notes: 214
• Index: 234
• Back Flap: 243
• Back Cover: 244
• Spine: 245

About the author

M. Gessen is the author of twelve books, including the National Book Award–winning The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia and The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin. An Opinion columnist for The New York Times, and the recipient of numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Opinion Writing, as well as Guggenheim and Carnegie fellowships, Gessen teaches at Bard College and lives in New York City.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Perfect Rigor: A Genius and the Mathematical Breakthrough of the Century
• Author: Masha Gessen
• Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009
• ISBN: 0547427565, 9780547427560
• Length: 256 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Jewish; Biography & Autobiography / Medical (incl. Patients); Biography & Autobiography / Memoirs; Biography & Autobiography / Science & Technology; Mathematics / Essays; Mathematics / General; Medical / Nursing / General; Science / Environmental Science; Science / History; Science / Physics / General