Math Genious turns down 1 million dollar prize. (I think he's Jewish)

[Aces High]

http://www.aolnews.com/article/math-genius-can-solve-a-riddle-but-wont-accept-a-prize/19540177?icid=main|htmlws-main-w|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Farticle%2Fmath-genius-can-solve-a-riddle-but-wont-accept-a-prize%2F19540177

[Aces High]

Look at the distant stare of the blue eyes- he's nuts

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

A lot of times math geniuses of a very high level are very bizarre socially. 

[muman613]

Maybe he is living by a Jewish axiom:

I have learned somewhere that a Talmid Chocham should not accept a gift. I cannot find an exact reference to this idea yet I found the following mention:

PART TEN

The Torah says "viholachta bidrachov" (go in G-d's ways) and "acharai Hashem Elokaichem tailachu" (go after G-d). These tell us to emulate G-d's behaviors and midos. The verse in Job/Eeyov tells us "im tzadakta ma titain lo" (if you are generous to G-d, what do you give Him). G-d is infinite and all-sufficient. He needs and takes nothing. He is only a giver. King Solomon tells us "soneh matanos yichiyeh (the one who hates gifts will be alive)." We see that a Jew must be a giver - emulating G-d thereby - and must hate being a taker. Each gives according to his abilities and blessings. A wealthy person gives charity, a sensitive person gives help and kindness, a talented talmid chochom becomes a rov, educator or dayan. When each gives according to his material and spiritual resources, he is a credit to G-d, Torah and the Jewish people. One who loves taking has no connection to G-d. Being in kollel without it be a way of giving to G-d, Torah and the Jewish people is a CONTRADICTION.

Also there is a concept which advises a Jew to flee from honor...

http://www.torah.org/learning/integrity/fleehonor2.html

When Yaakov concluded his instructions to his sons, he drew his feet onto the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people.(Bereshith 49:33)

The previous essay gave the examples of Yaakov Avinu and great Torah scholars who made it their top priority to flee from honor. These examples raise the following questions: Why does one need to go out of his way to avoid praise? What is so bad about a little recognition for one’s accomplishments? Furthermore, our Sages tell us that if someone runs away from honor, honor will chase after him.1 If honor is negative and should be shunned, why does G-d burden a person who really does not want it with even more honor? On the other hand, if honor is good, what motivates one to run away from it?

True honor, i.e. that which brings glory to G-d, is definitely praiseworthy. However it carries with it an inherent danger: one could make the mistake of thinking that he is being honored, and not the Divine glory that he represents. Someone who realizes how infinitely far away he is from his Creator, and expresses this by fleeing from honor, recognizes that only G-d is deserving of true glory. He will not make the error of pride, and consequently, when he does receive honor, the Divine name will be sanctified.

There are times when one must put humility aside, and admit one’s Torah knowledge. If a Rav is approached with questions of practical halachah, , the Torah obliges him, if he is capable to answer every pertinent question.2 Even if someone asks him a question that is not relevant, it is important for a Rav to answer it, so that people will come back to him with their more pertinent questions.3 Likewise, a teacher should answer every question his students ask him, since that is his job and he must be a strong leader and role model to his students. If he does not answer certain questions because he wishes to be humble, a student may lose respect for him and will not want to continue to learn from him.4

From Pirkie Avot : http://www.torah.org/learning/pirkei-avos/ch4m8.html

[Aces High]

He could have donated the money to a good cause, if he felt he didn't deserve it.   Just a thought.

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigori_Perelman

Indeed he is Jewish.  His father even lives in Israel.

Perelman is upset that the dishonesty of bullies is tolerated and accepted by people in the mathematical world.  From what I can tell, integrity and a belief in morality are the reasons this man passed upon a million dollar prize.  If he accepted the prize he is saying that he supports and aligns himself with a community which takes no stand against dishonesty. -- I am quite impressed with him.

A friend of mine alerted me to this man's story a few months back.  It is a fascinating story [eleven pages!].

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/08/28/060828fa_fact2?currentPage=1 [page one]

I think the most helpful parts of the article to understand Perelman's reasoning for not accepting the prize are the last three pages.

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/08/28/060828fa_fact2?currentPage=9 [page nine]

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/08/28/060828fa_fact2?currentPage=10 [page ten]

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/08/28/060828fa_fact2?currentPage=11 [page eleven]

From pages ten and eleven:

Perelman repeatedly said that he had retired from the mathematics community and no longer considered himself a professional mathematician. He mentioned a dispute that he had had years earlier with a collaborator over how to credit the author of a particular proof, and said that he was dismayed by the discipline’s lax ethics. “It is not people who break ethical standards who are regarded as aliens,” he said. “It is people like me who are isolated.” We asked him whether he had read Cao and Zhu’s paper. “It is not clear to me what new contribution did they make,” he said. “Apparently, Zhu did not quite understand the argument and reworked it.” As for Yau, Perelman said, “I can’t say I’m outraged. Other people do worse. Of course, there are many mathematicians who are more or less honest. But almost all of them are conformists. They are more or less honest, but they tolerate those who are not honest.”

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/08/28/060828fa_fact2?currentPage=10#ixzz0smQ1ZCNV

The prospect of being awarded a Fields Medal had forced him to make a complete break with his profession. “As long as I was not conspicuous, I had a choice,” Perelman explained. “Either to make some ugly thing”—a fuss about the math community’s lack of integrity—“or, if I didn’t do this kind of thing, to be treated as a pet. Now, when I become a very conspicuous person, I cannot stay a pet and say nothing. That is why I had to quit.” We asked Perelman whether, by refusing the Fields and withdrawing from his profession, he was eliminating any possibility of influencing the discipline. “I am not a politician!” he replied, angrily. Perelman would not say whether his objection to awards extended to the Clay Institute’s million-dollar prize. “I’m not going to decide whether to accept the prize until it is offered,” he said.

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/08/28/060828fa_fact2?currentPage=11#ixzz0smQEw5df

I think its pretty lame that so many of the commonly available articles about this man are censored of an explanation of his reasoning.  "Recluse math genius who lives in poverty refuses to accept million dollar prize; people are baffled!"  He is also frequently made out, unjustly, to be mentally ill.  I think his integrity and humility are the real story.

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

Yep, my guess was that he is simply a man of huge principle.

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

I think this photograph better represents the man in his field, rather than an up close, over flashed, driver's license photograph.



This picture makes me laugh.  In Russian, "het" means the same thing as "nyet" [no] as I understand.