Part 10 (1/2)

CHAPTER 34

The E A slow fire burning

-JOSEPH B BRENNER, psychiatrist, Cae, Massachusetts, 1997

SOMEONE WAS CALLING, ”It's time to play charades It's time to play charades” ”It's time to play charades It's tiuests filled the entire ground floor of the Mosers' s for hours Inside, the atmosphere was thick with s a little louder than usual, heads close together, waving cigarettes, posing for the ca up in the carnival-like atmosphere The Mosers were dressed as pirate and Indian squaw Karin Tate, Artin's hter, was dressed as a black cat Her husband, John, the algebraist, ca aantennae and arrows all over his chest Gian-Carlo Rota looked as elegant as ever in hisin her Spanish bolero and sliround floor of the Mosers' s for hours Inside, the atmosphere was thick with s a little louder than usual, heads close together, waving cigarettes, posing for the ca up in the carnival-like atmosphere The Mosers were dressed as pirate and Indian squaw Karin Tate, Artin's hter, was dressed as a black cat Her husband, John, the algebraist, ca aantennae and arrows all over his chest Gian-Carlo Rota looked as elegant as ever in hisin her Spanish bolero and slim black pants

Richy E-roo dark car pulled into the driveway and a virtually nakedon the kitchen door and Richy ran to open it As Nash ca into the room, followed by Alicia, heads turned, eyebrows shot up, and conversation suddenly quieted Alicia was laughing excitedly and Nash wore a suests He was barefoot and entirely naked except for a diaper and a sash, which was draped across his powerful chest, that had the nurinned and boaved a baby bottle full ofloudly at this point - and then sauntered into the living roo stolen the show, Nash grinned and boaved a baby bottle full ofloudly at this point - and then sauntered into the living rooen and Gertrude were just dividing the guests into two teams Nash was on one team, Richy on the other When it was Richy's turn, Nash walked over to him and whispered in his ear the name of the character that he was supposed to act out Richy was delighted He adored Nash, as en's math friends Richy's pantomime initially mystified everyone Finally a woman, the best player in the room, read his eleven-year-old mind: mind: The Critique of Pure Rason! The Critique of Pure Rason! Richy looked over at Nash, who shrugged his shoulders and gave hied his shoulders and gave hirin

Between that New Year's Eve, December 31, 1958, and the last day in February, as his fellow mathematicians and friends looked on in puzzlee and horrible metamorphosis But on New Year's Eve, he was, by all accounts, sihtly off-key self, playful and h spirits as well The idea for Nash's costume had been hers2 She was the one who sewed it, draped his sash, and choreographed the entrance a ht There is no hint of unease or pre soleeful Alicia on his lap, her arh, it was Nash as curled up in Alicia's lap Sooers found it extre” She was the one who sewed it, draped his sash, and choreographed the entrance a ht There is no hint of unease or pre soleeful Alicia on his lap, her arh, it was Nash as curled up in Alicia's lap Sooers found it extre”

Nash had already crossed some invisible threshold The feverish activity and the fierce competition with Cohen and Newman in the common room, so noticeable in the early fall, had already slowed He seeraduate student who had just co able to keep up with Cohen and Newman Paul Cohen recalled in 1996 that that fall Nash would make little jokes, little offhand re license numbers, and the like They were funny - Nash was always very bright and very witty - but they showed that so a little too far,'” Cohen said3 Nash started singling out individuals One was a senior named Al Vasquez, who had never taken a course froe of Paul Cohen's ”I'd see hi It wasn't a conversation More like a ave e questions about theested outright illness, just another stage in the evolution of Nash's eccentricity His conversation, as Raoul Bott put it, had ”always mixed mathematics and myth”5 His conversational style had always been a bit odd He never seemed to knohen to speak up or shut up or take part in ordinary give and take Emma Duchane recalled in 1997 that Nash always, from their earliest acquaintance, which dated back to Nash and Alicia's courtshi+p, told interminable stories with mysterious, off-key punch lines His conversational style had always been a bit odd He never seemed to knohen to speak up or shut up or take part in ordinary give and take Emma Duchane recalled in 1997 that Nash always, from their earliest acquaintance, which dated back to Nash and Alicia's courtshi+p, told interminable stories with a to students ere in the class7 On the first day, he said to the class, ”The question occurs to me: Why are you here?,” a reave a reat deal and he so or answering a student's question Just before Thanksgiving, Nash had invited his TA froolli, and Alberto Galmarino, a student On the first day, he said to the class, ”The question occurs to me: Why are you here?,” a reave a reat deal and he so or answering a student's question Just before Thanksgiving, Nash had invited his TA froolli, and Alberto Gal to choose a dissertation topic, to acco to choose a dissertation topic, to accoe on the Charles River late one afternoon, Nash eue that was difficult to follow for the tho had just come to the United States It concerned threats to world peace and calls for world governthat he had been asked to play soolli recalled that he and Galmarino were quite disturbed and that they wondered briefly if they should inforht Awed as they were by Nash, and new as they were to A As they walked over the Harvard Bridge on the Charles River late one afternoon, Nash eue that was difficult to follow for the tho had just come to the United States It concerned threats to world peace and calls for world governthat he had been asked to play soolli recalled that he and Galmarino were quite disturbed and that they wondered briefly if they should inforht Awed as they were by Nash, and new as they were to A

Also around that ti, one of the e Nash, as in the audience, see back Selberg recalled, ”He asked so, somewhat inappropriate to the subject He see quite different than what I had intended[His] questions were forenda that he wanted to discover The lecture was about the rigidity of several locally symmetric spaces He asked some questions that seemed to imply I had a hidden, secretto do with the Riemann Hypothesis, which of course it did not I was rather taken aback This was so to do whatsoever [with the Riemann Hypothesis]”9 After the New Year's party, people around the depart about Nash Classes resumed January 4 A week or ten days later, Nash asked Gal away, he said Galmarino, as flattered by Nash's confidence in hireed Nash showed up at Rota's apartment on Sacramento Street on his way out of town Then he disappeared 10 10 Cohen disappeared at around the saraduate students was that Nash and Cohen had run away together11 As it happens Cohen had gone to visit his sister He was terribly upset when he returned to hear what the others had been saying about him and Nash Nash, meanwhile, had driven south, ultiton, DC As it happens Cohen had gone to visit his sister He was terribly upset when he returned to hear what the others had been saying about him and Nash Nash, meanwhile, had driven south, ultiton, DC

A couple of weeks later Nash slouched into the co a copy of The New York Ti anyone in particular, he walked up to Hartley Rogers and some others and pointed to the story on the upper left-hand corner of the Without addressing anyone in particular, he walked up to Hartley Rogers and some others and pointed to the story on the upper left-hand corner of the Tie, the off-lede, as Times Times staffers call it staffers call it12 Nash said that abstract powers froovernh Nash said that abstract powers froovernh The New York Ties, which were meant only for him, were encrypted and required close analysis Others couldn't decode the es, which were meant only for him, were encrypted and required close analysis Others couldn't decode theallowed to share the secrets of the world Rogers and the others looked at each other Was he joking? being allowed to share the secrets of the world Rogers and the others looked at each other Was he joking?

E with Nash and Alicia She recalled that ”he kept shi+fting fro pesky But he thought that they were broadcasting s he did were raduate students an expired license, writing the student's nicknaalactic driver's license” He mentioned that he was athe student in charge of Asia The student recalled, ”He see around”14 His manner took on a certain furtiveness Another student, an undergraduate, recalled, ”I have this i about I'd walk into a stairwell and he'd disappear as if he'd been lurking there” His manner took on a certain furtiveness Another student, an undergraduate, recalled, ”I have this i about I'd walk into a stairwell and he'd disappear as if he'd been lurking there”15 Nash showed up at the apart around and finally they settled down to play a ga was bizarre At one point he bid six hearts when, as it turned out, he held no hearts at all Karin asked hi that he somehow had expected her to read his bids ”He expected ht I could understand I thought he was pulling ht he was doing some sort of experied in some elaborate private joke There was a lot of discussion about it Soed in some elaborate private joke There was a lot of discussion about it

Nash's recollections of those weeks focus on a feeling of ly pervasive i a secret world that others around hian, he recalled in 1996, to notice men in red neckties around the MIT caot the i red neckties so I would notice them As I became more and more delusional, not only persons at MIT but people in Boston wearing red neckties [would seenificant to me]”17 At some point, Nash concluded that the men in red ties were part of a definite pattern ”Also [there was some relation to] a crypto-communist party,” he said in 1996 At some point, Nash concluded that the men in red ties were part of a definite pattern ”Also [there was some relation to] a crypto-cos started happening fast Alicia Nash later coration to that of aquite nor loudly, and finally has an all-out te about ” Cohen recalled: ”It had a nasty edge I told hi about, that I hadn't heard anything”19 Nash was still working on the Rieh his trash can Was he trying to steal Nash's ideas about Rieain, it sounded like a bit of an over-the-top joke, but it upset Cohen sufficiently so that he repeated the incident to a student20 In ht in London with Estelle and his children, spent a few days in Paris where he visited a French e showed Kuhn a letter fro that his career was being ruined by aliens froered Nash's strange letter to Berge was the announce, the Courant professor who had suggested the partial differential equation problem to Nash Paul Cohen later recalled that Nash's reaction was furious He told Cohen that he deserved the prize and that the fact that an older s were ”political”22 Nash also approached Neuwirth about his work ”He said he was giving this lecture on the Riemann Hypothesis,” Neuwirth recalled ”But when he started talking it was gibberish Probability is everything!!! I knew that was crazy I mentioned it to Newman, who brushed it off”23 On yet another occasion, Nash wandered into Moser's office, unannounced as always Moser, always affable, suppressed a feeling of irritation and waved him in Nash stood at the blackboard He drew a set that resee, wavy baked potato He drew a couple of other saze on Moser ”This,” he said, pointing to the potato, ”is the universe” Moser nodded Moser was at that ti to apply Nash's implicit function theoreovernment,” Nash said, in the same tone that used to say, ”This is an elliptic equation” ”This is heaven And this is hell”24 Ted and Lucy Martin had been in Mexico on a winter vacation When Martin returned, Levinson took hi a nervous breakdown ”Tell me about it,” said Martin, who said later that he ”als” Martin recalled, ”Levinson said, 'He's very paranoid If you go down to his office, he won't want you between hih, when I went down to his office that Sunday night, Nash edged hian turning up in the department mail Ruth Goodwin, the department secretary, would put them aside and show them to Martin26 They were addressed to ambassadors of various countries And they were from John Nash Martin panicked He tried to retrieve the letters, not all of which were addressed and most of which weren't stamped, from mailboxes around the campus They were addressed to ambassadors of various countries And they were from John Nash Martin panicked He tried to retrieve the letters, not all of which were addressed and most of which weren't stamped, from mailboxes around the campus

What was in the letters? None have survived, but various people recalled hearing froovernment There was a comues in the department The letters were addressed to all the eton, DC The letter said he was forovernment He wanted to talk to the ambassadors Later he would talk to the heads of state hearing froovernment There was a comues in the department The letters were addressed to all the eton, DC The letter said he was forovernment He wanted to talk to the ambassadors Later he would talk to the heads of state27 Martin was in a most aard position The faculty, after some internal dissension, had just voted on Nash's promotion, and it was now before the president of the university' He dithered and delayed

Meanwhile, Adrian Albert, the chairo, called Norman Levinson What was Nash's state of o had ious chair to Nash, Nash was scheduled to give a talk, and now he had received a very odd letter froo offer Nash had thanked Albert for his kind offer but said he would have to decline because he was scheduled to become Emperor of Antarctica The letter, Browder recalled in 1996, also contained references to Ted Martin's stealing Nash's ideas The affair came to the attention of MIT president Julius Stratton, who, upon seeing a copy of Nash's letter, is supposed to have said, ”This is a very sick o offer Nash had thanked Albert for his kind offer but said he would have to decline because he was scheduled to become Emperor of Antarctica The letter, Browder recalled in 1996, also contained references to Ted Martin's stealing Nash's ideas The affair came to the attention of MIT president Julius Stratton, who, upon seeing a copy of Nash's letter, is supposed to have said, ”This is a very sick an February 9 Shortly after Washi+ngton's birthday, Eugenio Calabi, as a member that year at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, gave a seht ones, didn't normally attend departo He put on a sport coat and tie for the occasion Feeling rather self-conscious, he sat a fes from the rear and hoped that he looked less conspicuous than he felt

He had noticed, as he sat down, that Nash was sitting in the row behind hi rather loudly, although he did not appear to be addressing Calabi After a fewto him ”Vasquez, did you know that I' until Vasquez turned arounduntil Vasquez turned around29 Nash told Vasquez that his photograph had been disguised to make it look as if it were Pope John the Twenty-third Vasquez, he said, also had his picture on a Life Life cover and it too was disguised How did he know that the photograph, apparently of the pope, was really of himself? Tays, he explained First because John wasn't the pope's given name but a name that he had chosen Second, because twenty-three was Nash's ”favorite priuised How did he know that the photograph, apparently of the pope, was really of himself? Tays, he explained First because John wasn't the pope's given name but a name that he had chosen Second, because twenty-three was Nash's ”favorite pri, Vasquez later recalled, was that Calabi kept on lecturing as if nothing untoere happening, and the rest of the audience too ignored the interchange, although it must have been audible to everyone in the rooraduate-school days at Princeton Before Calabi had coe, Nash had telephoned him at his apartment on Einstein Drive and asked whether the Calabis could put him and Alicia up for a few days30 He wanted to spend a few days at the institute consulting with Atle Selberg, the nuive at the upco He wanted to spend a few days at the institute consulting with Atle Selberg, the nuive at the upco

Calabi and the Nashes went out to dinner after Calabi's talk Both Nashes seemed unusually nervous, Calabi recalled ”At one point, Nashhysterically He was somewhat anxious”

The next day, the Nashes left for Princeton while Calabi stayed on in Caot a call fro very strangely and would he come home?

On one occasion, Nash had walked into another apartain All the apartments on Einstein Drive looked virtually identical from the outside and mistakes were commonplace, but even afterward Nash didn't see apartment

On the afternoon of February 28, Nash was evenitated At theback and forth between the car and the house Alicia was trying to cal of Nash's ation, he said, ”I knew in that area that proble to yield to a flash of inspiration”31 Nash's consultations with Selberg apparently ca had merely been irritated by Nash's persistence, as he later recalled, and told Nash, in even harsher ter had been tried before and had already been deine the fear and confusion that Nash felt that afternoon as he stood before the 250 or so mathematicians who came to his lecture, sponsored by the American Mathematical Society, in a Columbia University auditorium33 Harold N Shapiro, a professor at the Courant Institute and a number theorist who had known Nash since the suether at RAND in 1952, introduced Nash

There was in fact an air of tres were essentially job s The audience consisted both of job seekers and establishedthereat youngthe most difficult problems about to announce what he felt was a likely solution to the deepest problem in all ofthat he was interested in prime numbers Everybody's reaction was that if Nash turns to number theory, number theorists better watch out There was a buzz” the most difficult problems about to announce what he felt was a likely solution to the deepest problem in all ofthat he was interested in prime numbers Everybody's reaction was that if Nash turns to number theory, number theorists better watch out There was a buzz”34 Peter Lax, a professor at the Courant Institute, described it as ”a very strange adventure”

Lip to Nash's talk, that Heifetz gave his first concert at Carnegie (accompanied by the pianist Godowski) An older violinist, turning to the musician seated next to him, said, ”It's very hot in here” ”Not for the pianist,” came the answer It must have been hot in there, but only for the nuress I couldn't judge it Mathematicians don't usually present unfinished work35

At first, it seeanized performances, h, so happened Donald Newman recalled in 1996: One word didn't fit in with the other I was at Yeshi+va Rademacher, who had worked on the Riemann Hypothesis, was present In fact, he wrote a brilliant paper on How Not to Solve the Riemann Hypothesis It was Nash's first downfall Everybody knew soet stuck It was his chatter The math was just lunacy What does this have to do with the Rieo to these o out in the hall, buttonhole other people, and try to figure out what they just heard Nash's talk wasn't good or bad It was horrible36

Cathleen Morawetz, who had enjoyed joking around with Nash at Courant two years earlier, ran into Nash in the stairwell after the talk: ”He was laughed out of the auditoriu nice to him, but I was disturbed He see scorn on him” to describe the audience reaction)37 Nash had been invited to give a talk at Yale as well on his way back to Cae It was his second talk at Yale that year, but he couldn't find his way there He kept calling Felix Browder, then teaching at Yale, and telling hiet off the Merritt Parkway

Nash talked about the Rieain, it was a disastrous performance, as recalled by Browder, who contrasted his perfor year there was no hint of trouble That is when he finished the parabolic equations proof [In fact] he co a talk I [had] asked hiive another talk at Yale It wasn't coherent I thought so” perfor year there was no hint of trouble That is when he finished the parabolic equations proof [In fact] he co a talk I [had] asked hiive another talk at Yale It wasn't coherent I thought so”38

CHAPTER 35

In the Eye of the Stor 1959

It was like a tornado You want to hang on to what you have You don't want to see everything go