Part 5 (1/2)

Nash wasted no time In Bluefield, he went to the library and read the Selective Service law He thought about the board's psychology He wrote to Tucker, to the Office of Naval Research in Washi+ngton, and no doubt also to Williah there is no record of such a letter6 (A letter from the (A letter froton, received by Al Tucker on Septe if ONR can help get him a draft defered the uns may be later rolled out without the appearance” ofthe initial stateton, received by Al Tucker on Septe if ONR can help get him a draft defered the uns may be later rolled out without the appearance” ofthe initial state as much time as possible Later on, in other circumstances, Nash would repeatedly express his dislike and resent” But, impractical, childish, and detached from everyday concerns as he was in so out necessary facts,use of his father's connections, andallies and supporters He was intent on buying as much time as possible Later on, in other circumstances, Nash would repeatedly express his dislike and resent” But, impractical, childish, and detached from everyday concerns as he was in so out necessary facts,use of his father's connections, andallies and supporters

Tucker, the university, the Navy, and RAND responded sy in unison that he was irreplaceable, it would take years to train a substitute, and his as ”essential to the welfare and security of this nation”8 Fred D Rigby at the Office of Naval Research in Washi+ngton advised Tucker that the best route to take was for a university officer to ask the New York branch of the ONR to write to the Bluefield draft board ”This process is said to ell Normally, it takes place after the ainst its use in advance of that event” Fred D Rigby at the Office of Naval Research in Washi+ngton advised Tucker that the best route to take was for a university officer to ask the New York branch of the ONR to write to the Bluefield draft board ”This process is said to ell Normally, it takes place after the ainst its use in advance of that event”9 Rigby also noted that ”this kind of question is co that Nash was hardly alone a acade to avoid the draft Rigby also promised that, should the branch office action fail, ”ill then make a second try directly with the national selective service organization,” adding, however, that in all likelihood ”this will not be necessary” Rigby also noted that ”this kind of question is co that Nash was hardly alone a acade to avoid the draft Rigby also promised that, should the branch office action fail, ”ill then make a second try directly with the national selective service organization,” adding, however, that in all likelihood ”this will not be necessary”10 The concerted effort to save Nash from the draft was not reatscientists at the time The Korean War did not inspire the saarded defense research as a kind of alternative service and the notion of exe especially accomplished and valuable individuals had antecedents even in World War II Many acadearded defense research as a kind of alternative service and the notion of exe especially accomplished and valuable individuals had antecedents even in World War II12 Kuhn rera the same classes at Caltech that he would have attended as a civilian, only in uniform He wound up in the infantry only because he failed the Navy's tougher physical Kuhn rera the same classes at Caltech that he would have attended as a civilian, only in uniform He wound up in the infantry only because he failed the Navy's tougher physical13 Korea did not prompt the -class war, but aeneration there was a sense of entitle special treatment Korea did not prompt the -class war, but aeneration there was a sense of entitle special treatency of Nash's efforts to avoid the draft suggests deeper fears than those related to career ambitions or personal convenience His was a personality for which regiers were notWith some justification, Nash would later bla, a far i drafted re after the Korean War ended and after he turned twenty-six (the age cut-off for draft eligibility) It eventually reached delusional proportions and helped drive him to attempt to abandon his American citizenshi+p and seek political asyluibility) It eventually reached delusional proportions and helped drive him to attempt to abandon his American citizenshi+p and seek political asyluut instinct has since been validated by schizophrenia researchers14 None of the life events known to produce mental disorders such as depression or anxiety neurosis - combat, death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job - have ever been convincingly implicated in the onset of schizophrenia But several studies have since shown that basicpeacetime can precipitate schizophrenia in men with a hitherto unsuspected vulnerability to the illness None of the life events known to produce mental disorders such as depression or anxiety neurosis - combat, death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job - have ever been convincingly implicated in the onset of schizophrenia But several studies have since shown that basicpeacetime can precipitate schizophrenia in men with a hitherto unsuspected vulnerability to the illness15 Although the study subjects were all carefully screened for mental illnesses, hospitalization rates for schizophrenia turned out to be abnorh the study subjects were all carefully screened for mental illnesses, hospitalization rates for schizophrenia turned out to be abnorby's prediction was soon borne out A handwritten note dated Septelas Brown, records a telephone call frones Henry, the mathematics department secretary, who informed the dean's secretary that John Nash had telephoned her asking the dean to write to the Office of Naval Research16 A few days later Nash filled out a university forency,” in which he stated that he was registered at Local Board 12 in Bluefield, that his current classification was I-A, and that he had a ”chance for 2-A, application pending” A few days later Nash filled out a university forency,” in which he stated that he was registered at Local Board 12 in Bluefield, that his current classification was I-A, and that he had a ”chance for 2-A, application pending”17 The foristics grant In response to the question ”Are you engaged in any other research work or consultation of possible national interest?” Nash responded yes and listed ”consultant for RAND corporation” A note, added perhaps by the head of Princeton's grants office, mentioned that Nash had spent ”3 years or ames and related fields Wrote paper in this field when at Carnegie Tech as undergraduate Two years to get PhD at Princeton Dr Rigby has already told NY to support” The foristics grant In response to the question ”Are you engaged in any other research work or consultation of possible national interest?” Nash responded yes and listed ”consultant for RAND corporation” A note, added perhaps by the head of Princeton's grants office, mentioned that Nash had spent ”3 years or ames and related fields Wrote paper in this field when at Carnegie Tech as undergraduate Two years to get PhD at Princeton Dr Rigby has already told NY to support”

The university i that ”this project is considered by the Logistics Branch of ONR, Washi+ngton as a very iency Dr Nash is a key member of our staff in this project and is one of the very few individuals in the country who have been trained in this field”18 The ONR followed, on Septe that Nash was ”a key research assistant” and ”this contract is an essential part of the Navy Departram and is in the interest of national safety” The ONR followed, on Septe that Nash was ”a key research assistant” and ”this contract is an essential part of the Navy Departram and is in the interest of national safety”19 RAND protected Nash as well RAND's for letters for Nash and another mathematician from Princeton, Mel Peisakoff, to ”save” them from the draft20 (Peisakoff's recollection differs from Best's, however; he says he wanted to enlist but that his superiors at RAND wouldn't let him) (Peisakoff's recollection differs from Best's, however; he says he wanted to enlist but that his superiors at RAND wouldn't let hi people,” said Best ”In 1948, the average age was 2835 years The personnel office wasn't well [equipped to handle the situation] I wrote some form letters to the draft board for Nash,” he recalled ”We had a lot of reservists and a great e was 2835 years The personnel office wasn't well [equipped to handle the situation] I wrote some form letters to the draft board for Nash,” he recalled22 Nash's lobbying caranted the desired II-A By October 6, the university informed Nash that ”you seem to be safe until June 30”23 Apparently, the board had sination for active service until June 30, 1951 The university advised Nash, ”I would suggest that we defer any further action until next spring, at which tiain apply for a II-A classification and can consider an appeal if this should be rejected” Apparently, the board had sination for active service until June 30, 1951 The university advised Nash, ”I would suggest that we defer any further action until next spring, at which tiain apply for a II-A classification and can consider an appeal if this should be rejected”24 But, at least for now, he had prevented thehis plans More i his personal freedority of his personality and won the ability to function well for longer than he ht otherwise have But, at least for now, he had prevented thehis plans More i his personal freedority of his personality and won the ability to function well for longer than he ht otherwise have

CHAPTER 15

A Beautiful Theorem Princeton, 195051 Princeton, 195051

STRANGE AS IT MAY NOW SEEM, the dissertation that would one day win Nash a nobel wasn't highly regarded enough to assure him an offer from a top academic department Ga theIndeed, Nash's uely disappointed in hister who had re-proved theorems of Brouwer and Gauss to tackle a really deep probley the dissertation that would one day win Nash a nobel wasn't highly regarded enough to assure him an offer from a top academic department Ga theIndeed, Nash's uely disappointed in hister who had re-proved theorems of Brouwer and Gauss to tackle a really deep probleest fan, Tucker, had concluded that while Nash could ”hold his own in pure est fan, Tucker, had concluded that while Nash could ”hold his own in puresuccessfully sidestepped the threat of the draft, Nash now began working on a paper that he hoped would win hinition as a pure eoreat interest to mathe at the world, sothem sometimes tripped up eminent mathe analysts of his day and a fine lecturer, used to walk into his graduate classes, start to give a definition of a ive up, saying with an exasperated air, beforeon, ”Well, you all knohat a eoreat interest to mathe at the world, sothem sometimes tripped up eminent mathe analysts of his day and a fine lecturer, used to walk into his graduate classes, start to give a definition of a ive up, saying with an exasperated air, beforeon, ”Well, you all knohat a ht line, in two dimensions a plane, or the surface of a cube, a balloon, or a doughnut The defining feature of a e point of any spot on such an object, the iular and normal Euclidean space Think of yourself shrunk to the size of a pinpoint, sitting on the surface of a doughnut Look around you, and it see on a flat disk Go down one dimension and sit on a curve, and the stretch nearby looks like a straight line Should you be perched on a three-dihborhood would look like the interior of a ball In other words, how the object appears from afar hted eye

By 1950, topologists were having a field day with ically The diversity and sheer nuh all two-diically, not all three- and four-dimensional objects - of which there is literally an infinite assortment - have been so precisely described Manifolds turn up in a wide variety of physical probley, where they are often very hard to cope with The notoriously difficult three-body proble Oskar II of Sweden and Norway in 1885 for a mathematical competition in which Poincare took part, which entails predicting the orbits of any three heavenly bodies - such as the sun, ely object in sight topologically The diversity and sheer nuh all two-diically, not all three- and four-dimensional objects - of which there is literally an infinite assortment - have been so precisely described Manifolds turn up in a wide variety of physical probley, where they are often very hard to cope with The notoriously difficult three-body proble Oskar II of Sweden and Norway in 1885 for a mathematical competition in which Poincare took part, which entails predicting the orbits of any three heavenly bodies - such as the sun, ely5 Nash becaie6 But it is likely that his ideas did not crystallize until after he caular conversations with Steenrod In his nobel autobiography, Nash says that, right around the tiot his equilibrium result for But it is likely that his ideas did not crystallize until after he caular conversations with Steenrod In his nobel autobiography, Nash says that, right around the tiames, that is, in the fall of 1949, he also ebraic varieties”7 This is the result that he had considered writing up as a dissertation after von Neuames with many players This is the result that he had considered writing up as a dissertation after von Neua before Nash had worked out the laborious steps of the actual proof Nash alorked backward in his head He would ht, an intuition, a vision of the solution he was seeking These insights typically ca probleed effort, to work out a series of logical steps that would lead one to his conclusion Other great mathematicians - Riemann, Poincare, Wiener - have also worked in this way8 One ht Nash's mind worked, said: ”He was the kind of ht was the strongest part of his talent He would see a mathematical situation as a picture in his mind Whatever a orous proof But that's not how the solution presents itself to him Instead, it's a bunch of intuitive threads that have to be woven together And some of the early ones present the the way he thought Nash's mind worked, said: ”He was the kind of ht was the strongest part of his talent He would see a mathematical situation as a picture in his mind Whatever a orous proof But that's not how the solution presents itself to him Instead, it's a bunch of intuitive threads that have to be woven together And some of the early ones present theave a short talk on his theoree in Septeave a short talk on his theoree in Septe fro essential elements of his proof Nash planned to complete it at Princeton Unfortunately for Nash, Steenrod was on leave in France Judging fro essential elements of his proof Nash planned to complete it at Princeton Unfortunately for Nash, Steenrod was on leave in France12 Lefschetz, who undoubtedly was pressing Nash to have the paper ready before the annual job o to Donald Spencer, the visiting professor who had been on Nash's generals committee and had just been hired away fro board for co Nash to have the paper ready before the annual job o to Donald Spencer, the visiting professor who had been on Nash's generals committee and had just been hired away fro board for co professor, Spencer occupied a tiny office squeezed between Artin's huge corner office and an equally grand study belonging to William Feller Spencer, as Lefschetz wrote to the dean of faculty, was ”probably the most attractive mathematician in America at that moment,” as well as ”one of the most versatile American born mathematicians” as Lefschetz wrote to the dean of faculty, was ”probably the most attractive mathematician in America at that moment,” as well as ”one of the most versatile Arew up in Colorado and was admitted to Harvard, where he intended to studytheoretical aerodynaland, where he becareat coauthor A doctor's son, Spencer grew up in Colorado and was admitted to Harvard, where he intended to studytheoretical aerodynaland, where he becareat coauthor15 Spencer did brilliant work in complex analysis, a branch of pureapplications Spencer did brilliant work in complex analysis, a branch of pureapplications16 He was a ht-after collaborator, hiswith the japanese mathematician Kunihiko Kodaira, a Fields ht-after collaborator, hiswith the japanese mathematician Kunihiko Kodaira, a Fields medalist17 Spencer himself won the Bocher Prize Spencer hih he prihly theoretical fields, he nonetheless had soh he prihly theoretical fields, he nonetheless had some applied interests, namely hydrodyna in his reckless energy”20 His appetite for difficult problems was boundless, his powers of concentration impressive He could drink enormous quantities of alcohol - five lasses - and still talk circles around other mathematicians His appetite for difficult problems was boundless, his powers of concentration impressive He could drink enormous quantities of alcohol - five lasses - and still talk circles around other mathematicians21 A man whose natural exuberance hid a darker tendency toward depression and introspection, Spencer's appetite for abstraction was accoues ere in trouble A man whose natural exuberance hid a darker tendency toward depression and introspection, Spencer's appetite for abstraction was accoues ere in trouble22 He did not, however, suffer fools gladly The first draft of Nash's paper gave Spencer little confidence that the younger mathematician was up to the task he'd set for hi to do, really But I didn't think he was going to get anywhere”23 But for months, Nash showed up at Spencer's door once or twice a week Each time he would lecture Spencer on his problem for an hour or two Nash would stand at the blackboard, writing down equations and expounding his points Spencer would sit and listen and then shoot holes in Nash's arguments But for months, Nash showed up at Spencer's door once or twice a week Each time he would lecture Spencer on his problem for an hour or two Nash would stand at the blackboard, writing down equations and expounding his points Spencer would sit and listen and then shoot holes in Nash's arguave way to respect He was impressed by the caleous challenges and his fussiest objections ”He wasn't defensive He was absorbed in his work He responded thoughtfully” He also liked Nash for not being a whiner Nash never talked about himself, Spencer recalled ”Unlike other students who felt underappreciated,” he said, ”Nash never complained” The more he listened to Nash, inality of the probleave Nash People didn't a probleive Nash probleht of this probleinal nobody else could have thought of this proble unsuspected relationshi+ps between objects that seeot their arory ofthat they are bounded and do not run off into infinity the way a plane does, but are self-enclosed like a sphere) and s that they have no sharp bends or corners, as there are, for example, on the surface of a cube) His ”nice discovery,” essentially, was that these objects were lance because they were in fact closely related to a siebraic varieties, so previously unsuspected have no sharp bends or corners, as there are, for example, on the surface of a cube) His ”nice discovery,” essentially, was that these objects were lance because they were in fact closely related to a siebraic varieties, soebraic varieties are, like eometric objects, but they are objects defined by a locus of points described by one or ebraic equations Thus x x2 + Y + Y2 = 1 represents a circle in the plane, while = 1 represents a circle in the plane, while xy xy = 1 represents a hyperbola Nash's theore: Given any smooth compact = 1 represents a hyperbola Nash's theore: Given any smooth coebraic variety there exists a real algebraic variety V V in R in R2k + 1 and a connected component and a connected component W W of of V V so that so that W W is a smooth manifold diffeomorphic to M is a slish, Nash is asserting that for any ebraic variety one of whose parts corresponds in sooes on to say, one has to go to higher di that for any ebraic variety one of whose parts corresponds in sooes on to say, one has to go to higher di surprise, as the mathematicians who nominated Nash for membershi+p in the National Academy of Sciences in 1996 were to write: ”It had been assueneral objects than varieties”25 Today, Nash's result still i” - quite apart from any applicability ”Just to conceive of the theorem was remarkable,” said Michael Artin, professor of mathematics at MIT Today, Nash's result still i” - quite apart from any applicability ”Just to conceive of the theorem was remarkable,” said Michael Artin, professor of mathematics at MIT26 Artin and Barry Mazur, a mathematician at Harvard, used Nash's result in a 1965 paper to estimate periodic points of a dynamical system Artin and Barry Mazur, a mathematician at Harvard, used Nash's result in a 1965 paper to estiists want to find uished by only minor differences to trace evolutionary patterns, aps in the continuuical spaces at one end and very elaborate structures like algebraic varieties at the other Finding a reat chain - as Nash did with this result - opened up new avenues for solving probley, as Mike and I did,” said Mazur recently, ”you could clieometry”28 What impressed Steenrod and Spencer, and later on, eneration, was Nash's audacity First, the notion that every er-than-life thought, if only because the immense number and sheer variety of manifolds would seem to make it inherently unlikely that all could be described in so relatively si that one could prove such a thing also involves daring, even hubris The result Nash was ai” and therefore improbable and unprovable Other mathematicians before Nash had spotted relationshi+ps between soebraic varieties, but had treated these correspondences very narrowly, as highly special and unusual cases29 By early winter, Spencer and Nash were satisfied that the result was solid and that the various parts of the lengthy proof were correct Although Nash did not get around to sub a final draft of his paper to the Annals of Mathematics Annals of Mathematics until October 1951, until October 1951,30 Steenrod, in any case, vouched for the results that February, Steenrod, in any case, vouched for the results that February, referring to ”a piece of research which he has nearly completed, and hich I a board” referring to ”a piece of research which he has nearly completed, and hich I a board”31 Spencer thought ga that he never bothered to ask Nash in the course of that whole year what it was that he had proved in his thesis Spencer thought ga that he never bothered to ask Nash in the course of that whole year what it was that he had proved in his thesis32 Nash's paper on algebraic manifolds - the only one he was ever truly satisfied with, though it was not his deepest work33 - established Nash as a pure mathematician of the first rank It did not, however, save him from a blow that fell that winter - established Nash as a pure mathematician of the first rank It did not, however, save him from a blow that fell that winter

Nash hoped for an offer froh the department's stated policy was not to hire its own students, it did not, as a matter of practice, pass up ones of exceptional promise Lefschetz and Tucker very likely dropped hints that an offer was a real possibility Although most of the faculty other than Tucker neither understood nor displayed any interest in his thesis topic, they were aware that it had been greeted with respect by economists34 In January, Tucker and Lefschetz made a formal proposal that Nash be offered an assistant professorshi+p35 Bochner and Steenrod were strongly in favor, although Steenrod, of course, was not present at the discussion The proposal, however, was doomed to failure No appointment could be made without unanimous support in a department as small as Princeton's, and at least threeopposition Artin siarded as aggressive, abrasive, and arrogant, in such a sly in favor, although Steenrod, of course, was not present at the discussion The proposal, however, was doomed to failure No appointment could be made without unanimous support in a department as small as Princeton's, and at least threeopposition Artin siarded as aggressive, abrasive, and arrogant, in such a small departraht for a ter with students Artin, who supervised the honors calculus prograht for a ter with students37 So the appointhtrejected less on the basis of his work than on the basis of his personality It was an even greater blow because the same faculty made it clear that it hoped that John Milnor, only a junior by this time, would one day become part of the Princeton faculty38 The job market, while not as bad as in the Depression, was nonetheless rather bleak, the Korean War having cut into university enroll been turned down by Princeton, Nash kneould be lucky to get a temporary instructorshi+p in a respectable departo, it turns out, were interested in hiring Nash as an instructor39 Bochner had the ear of William Ted Martin, the new chaired Martin to offer Nash an instructorshi+p Bochner had the ear of William Ted Martin, the new chaired Martin to offer Nash an instructorshi+p40 Bochner urged Martin to ignore the gossip about Nash's supposedly difficult personality Tucker, ed Martin to ignore the gossip about Nash's supposedly difficult personality Tucker, o to do the same41 When MIT offered Nash a C L E Moore instructorshi+p, Nash, who liked the idea of living in Cae, accepted When MIT offered Nash a C L E Moore instructorshi+p, Nash, who liked the idea of living in Cae, accepted42

CHAPTER 16

MIT

BY THE END OF J JUNE, Nash was in Boston living in a cheap roo he walked across the Harvard Bridge, over the yellow-gray river to east Caressively utilitarian campus lay sprawled between the river and a swath of factories and warehouses Even before he reached the far side, he could s the distinct odors of chocolate and soap ent plant Every ray river to east Caressively utilitarian campus lay sprawled between the river and a swath of factories and warehouses Even before he reached the far side, he could s the distinct odors of chocolate and soap ent plant2 As he turned right onto Me ahead, a featureless block of ceht of the new library, then under construction As he turned right onto Me ahead, a featureless block of ceht of the new library, then under construction3 His office was on the third floor next to the stairwell in a corner suite assigned to several instructors, a spare, narrow roo the river and the low Boston skyline beyond His office was on the third floor next to the stairwell in a corner suite assigned to several instructors, a spare, narrow roo the river and the low Boston skyline beyond4 In 1951, before Sputnik Sputnik and Vietnam, MIT was not exactly an intellectual backwater, but it was nothing like what it is today The Lincoln Laboratory was famous for its wartime research, but its future acadesters, and powerhouse departuistics, coleams in some academic's eye It was, in spirit and in fact, still very reat research university and Vietnam, MIT was not exactly an intellectual backwater, but it was nothing like what it is today The Lincoln Laboratory was famous for its wartime research, but its future acadesters, and powerhouse departuistics, coleams in some academic's eye It was, in spirit and in fact, still very reat research university5 An environment more antithetical to the hothouse ate scale and modern contours made it feel like the behemoth state universities of the Midwest The e that MIT's armed, plainclothes ca the half-dozen ”classified” sites scattered around the ca those without proper security clearances and identification fro in ROTC and courses in military science were required of all MIT's two-thousand-plus undergraduate men6 The academic departments like matheineering student - in Paul Samuelson's words, ”a pretty crude animal” The academic departments like matheineering student - in Paul Samuelson's words, ”a pretty crude anias stations where engineers pulled up to get their tanks filled with obligatory doses of fairly elementary mathematics, physics, and cheas stations where engineers pulled up to get their tanks filled with obligatory doses of fairly elementary mathematics, physics, and cheraraduate program at all until the war9 Physics had no nobel Laureates on its faculty at the time Physics had no nobel Laureates on its faculty at the ti loads were heavy - sixteen hours a as not unco loads were heavy - sixteen hours a as not uncoe introductory courses like calculus, statistics, and linear algebra eighted toward large introductory courses like calculus, statistics, and linear algebra11 Its faculty were younger, less well known, and less credentialed than Harvard's, Yale's, or Princeton's Its faculty were younger, less well known, and less credentialed than Harvard's, Yale's, or Princeton's

”There were advantages,” said Samuelson ”A lot of the MIT faculty didn't have PhD's I caree Solow canificently It was more of a meritocracy” He added, ”People would say, doesn't everybody do that? Not up the river, we'd answer How do you explain that? We're Avis, we try harder”12 Socially, MIT was doh-society intellectuals, but of ineers ”It certainly was not a faculty club populated by cultivated Brahmins,” said Samuelson, as then twenty-five years old: ”When I ca, 15 percent science”13 MIT also had a less exclusionary tradition than Harvard or even Princeton By the 1950s, perhaps 40 percent of the ht youngsters from New York City public schools, effectively barred even then froraduates, went there Princeton was ”out of the question for a Jew,” recalls Joseph Kohn, who enrolled as a fresh in the world was sending a student to MIT” Bright youngsters from New York City public schools, effectively barred even then froraduates, went there Princeton was ”out of the question for a Jew,” recalls Joseph Kohn, who enrolled as a fresh in the world was sending a student to MIT”15 Still s fro Tith so that he was a swan aing a brilliant young researcher like Nash on board in the n of that shi+ft

There wasnumbers of students, but for research16 The amounts were small by post- The amounts were se by prewar standards Support for science, initially fueled by the successes during World War II, was noing because of the Cold War It came not just froy Coency MIT wasn't unique Other institutions, fro state universities in the upper Midwest to Stanford, grew up the saotwas becoeneration of coists, applied mathematicians, and assorted visionaries like Jerome Lettvin and Walter Pitts, who saw the co the architecture and functioning of the hue by prewar standards Support for science, initially fueled by the successes during World War II, was noing because of the Cold War It came not just froy Coency MIT wasn't unique Other institutions, fro state universities in the upper Midwest to Stanford, grew up the saotwas becoeneration of coists, applied mathematicians, and assorted visionaries like Jerome Lettvin and Walter Pitts, who saw the co the architecture and functioning of the hu environ that after the war, the 85 percent-15 percent split between engineering and science had shi+fted to 50 percent-50 percent He added: ”It was the upswing in moneythat made this possible That was part of the whole postwar pattern” ”It was verysphere,” said Sa that after the war, the 85 percent-15 percent split between engineering and science had shi+fted to 50 percent-50 percent He added: ”It was the upswing in moneythat made this possible That was part of the whole postwar pattern”18 Mathe an ih that was not obvious to everyone at the time The department had one faely thanks to Harvard's anti-Se the topologist George Whitehead and the analyst Norely of coiants but a lot of mediocrities” anti-Se the topologist George Whitehead and the analyst Norely of coiants but a lot of ed all that was appointed chairman of the department in 1947 William Ted Martin, called Ted by everyone who knew him, was the tall, skinny, loquacious son of an Arkansas country doctor Blond and blue-eyed with a sunny disposition and a ready grin, Martin was e and revved up with ambition A man whose innate decency would turn him into one of Nash's protectors after Nash became ill, Martin would soon endure his own trial by fire At the height of the McCarthy witch hunt, Martin's secret past as an underground member of the Communist Party in the late 1930s and early 1940s would be exposed, threatening both his career and his vision for the department20 But in 1951 the past was still safely buried A ”sparkplug of a chair money out of the MIT adreat, indeed astounding, effect But in 1951 the past was still safely buried A ”sparkplug of a chair money out of the MIT adreat, indeed astounding, effect21 One of Martin's strokes of genius was figuring out that the cheapest and quickest way to upgrade the depart na hotshots there for a year or two and handle the Harvard's Benjamin Pierce Fellows, Martin created C L E Moore Instructorshi+ps, so called in honor of MIT's uished mathematician in the 1920s22 Moore Instructors weren't expected to join the peret a strea up MIT's hu better students, the best of whoo Moore Instructors weren't expected to join the peret a strea up MIT's hu better students, the best of whoo

Since he wouldn't have to live with theht, Martin wasn't scared of difficult personalities ”Bochner said Nash orth appointing 'Don't worry about anything!' ” Martin recalled23 And Martin didn't He ca reat He would come to particularly rely on Nash's absolute intellectual honesty: ”When Nash mentioned somebody [as a potential hire], you didn't wonder if he was a crony or a relative If Nash said he was top flight, you didn't need much in the way of outside references” And Martin didn't He ca reat He would come to particularly rely on Nash's absolute intellectual honesty: ”When Nash mentioned somebody [as a potential hire], you didn't wonder if he was a crony or a relative If Nash said he was top flight, you didn't need much in the way of outside references”

The ure at MIT from Nash's point of vieas Norbert Wiener Wiener was, in soreat originality whocontributions in pureof World War II and then e career in applied mathematics24 Like von Neumann, Wiener is known to the public for his later work He was, as, the father of cybernetics, the application ofto communications and control problems Like von Neumann, Wiener is known to the public for his later work He was, as, the father of cybernetics, the application ofto communications and control problems

Wiener was also famously eccentric His appearance alone was remarkable His beard, Samuelson recalled after Wiener's death in 1964, was like ”the Ancient Mariner's”25 He puffed on fat cigars He waddled like a duck, a myopic parody of an absent at the hands of his father, Leo, was the subject of two popular books, He puffed on fat cigars He waddled like a duck, a myopic parody of an absent at the hands of his father, Leo, was the subject of two popular books, I Am a Genius I Am a Genius and and I Am a Mathematician, I Am a Mathematician, the first of which became a bestseller in the early 1950s Prolific as he was, Wiener generated as many anecdotes about himself as theorems He hardly seemed to knohere he was He would ask, for exa to the faculty club or away from it? For in the latter case I've already had my lunch” the first of which became a bestseller in the early 1950s Prolific as he was, Wiener generated as many anecdotes about himself as theorems He hardly seemed to knohere he was He would ask, for exa to the faculty club or away from it? For in the latter case I've already had my lunch”26 He was notoriously insecure If he encountered so a book under his arm, he would, as likely as not, ask anxiously whether his name was in the book He was notoriously insecure If he encountered so a book under his arm, he would, as likely as not, ask anxiously whether his name was in the book27 Friends and admirers traced this feature of his personality to his obsessive and overbearing father, who once bragged that he could turn a broomstick into a mathematician, and to Harvard's anti-Semitism, which cost Wiener an appointy after Wiener's death: ”The exodus fro psychic trauma to Norbert Wiener It did not help that his father was a Harvard professoror that Norbert's arded his move as a cruel comedown in life” Friends and admirers traced this feature of his personality to his obsessive and overbearing father, who once bragged that he could turn a broomstick into a mathematician, and to Harvard's anti-Semitism, which cost Wiener an appointy after Wiener's death: ”The exodus fro psychic trauma to Norbert Wiener It did not help that his father was a Harvard professoror that Norbert's arded his ues at MIT knew that he suffered from periods of manic excitability followed by severe depressions, constantly threatened to resign, and soh he'd run all over MIT telling people his latest theorei” Levinson, the wife of Norman Levin-son, recalled ”You couldn't stop hi, and say that he wished to kill himself At ti, and say that he wished to kill himself30 One of Wiener's ever-present fears was that he would go mad; his brother Theo, as well as two nephews, suffered from schizophrenia One of Wiener's ever-present fears was that he would go mad; his brother Theo, as well as two nephews, suffered froical struggles, Wiener had an acute eotistical and childish, but also very sensitive to the real needs of others,” Mrs Levinson recalled32 When a younger colleague riting a book but couldn't afford a typewriter, Wiener showed up at his door unannounced with a Royal portable under his ar a book but couldn't afford a typewriter, Wiener showed up at his door unannounced with a Royal portable under his arm