John Nash
- Born:
- June 13, 1928, Bluefield, West Virginia, USA
- Died:
- May 23, 2015, Monroe Township, New Jersey, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician, Economist
Early Life and Education
- Showed early aptitude for mathematics.
- Attended Bluefield College before transferring to Carnegie Mellon University (then Carnegie Institute of Technology) where he obtained both a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics.
- Received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Princeton University in 1950 with a dissertation on non-cooperative games.
Career and Major Achievements
- Held positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Princeton University.
- Made seminal contributions to game theory, differential geometry, and partial differential equations.
- Developed the concept of the "Nash Equilibrium," a foundational concept in game theory and economics.
- Suffered from schizoaffective disorder, which significantly impacted his career trajectory, but he returned to academic work later in life.
- Won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1994 for his analysis of equilibria in non-cooperative games.
- Received the Abel Prize in 2015 for his striking and seminal contributions to the theory of nonlinear partial differential equations and its applications to geometric analysis.
Notable Works
- "Equilibrium Points in N-Person Games" (1950, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
- "Non-cooperative Games" (1951, Annals of Mathematics)
- Contributions to the Nash bargaining solution.
Legacy and Impact
John Nash's work revolutionized economics and game theory, providing fundamental tools for analyzing strategic interactions. Despite struggles with schizoaffective disorder, his mathematical insights continue to influence various fields, from economics and political science to evolutionary biology and computer science. His life and work brought attention to the challenges faced by brilliant individuals navigating mental health conditions. Among the great mathematicians with schizoaffective disorder, Nash stands out for the breadth and depth of his contributions.
John Nash - Awards and Recognition
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| John von Neumann Theory Prize | 1978 |
| Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences | 1994 |
| Leroy P. Steele Prize | 1999 |
| Abel Prize | 2015 |