Who is Grigory Perelman. Russian mathematician Perelman Grigory Yakovlevich, who proved the Poincaré hypothesis: biography, personal life, interesting facts. And at this time

Grigory Yakovlevich Perelman(b. June 13, 1966, Leningrad, USSR) - outstanding, the first to prove Poincaré's hypothesis.

Grigory Perelman was born on June 13, 1966 in Leningrad into a Jewish family. His father, Yakov, was an electrical engineer and emigrated to Israel in 1993. Mother, Lyubov Leibovna, remained in St. Petersburg, worked as a mathematics teacher at a vocational school. It was the mother who played the violin who instilled in the future mathematician a love of classical music.

Until the 9th grade, Perelman studied in high school on the outskirts of the city, however, in the 5th grade, he began to study at the mathematics center at the Palace of Pioneers under the guidance of Sergei Rukshin, associate professor of the Russian State Pedagogical University, whose students have won many awards at mathematical olympiads. In 1982, as part of a team of Soviet schoolchildren, he won gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad in Budapest, having received a full point for the impeccable solution of all problems. Perelman graduated from the 239th Physics and Mathematics School in Leningrad. He played table tennis well, attended a music school. I did not receive a gold medal only because of physical education, without passing the TRP standards.

He was enrolled in the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics of Leningrad State University without exams. He won the faculty, city and all-Union student mathematical Olympiads. All the years I studied only with excellent marks. He received a Lenin scholarship for his academic success. After graduating with honors from the university, he entered graduate school (supervisor - Academician A.D. Aleksandrov) at the Leningrad Department of the Mathematical Institute. V.A. Steklov (LOMI - until 1992; then - POMI). Having defended his Ph.D. thesis in 1990, he remained to work at the institute as a senior researcher.

In the early 1990s, Perelman came to the United States, where he worked as a research assistant at various universities, where his attention was attracted by one of the most complex, at that time unsolved, problems of modern mathematics - the Poincaré Hypothesis. He surprised his colleagues with the asceticism of life, his favorite food was milk, bread and cheese. In 1996 he returned to St. Petersburg, continuing to work at POMI, where he worked alone to solve the Poincaré Problem.

In 2002-2003, Grigory Perelman published his three famous articles on the Internet, in which he summarized his original method for solving the Poincaré Problem:

• The entropy formula for the Ricci flow and its geometric applications
• Ricci flow with surgery on three-manifolds
• Finite extinction time for the solutions to the Ricci flow on certain three-manifolds

The appearance on the Internet of Perelman's first article on the entropy formula for the Ricci flow caused an immediate international sensation in the scientific community. In 2003, Grigory Perelman accepted an invitation to visit a number of American universities, where he gave a series of talks on his work on proving the Poincaré Problem. In America, Perelman spent a lot of time explaining his ideas and methods, both in public lectures organized for him and in personal meetings with a number of mathematicians. After his return to Russia, he answered numerous questions from his foreign colleagues by email.

In 2004-2006, Perelman's results were verified by three independent groups of mathematicians: 1) Bruce Kleiner, John Lott, University of Michigan; 2) Zhu Xiping, Sun Yatsen University, Cao Huidong, Lihai University; 3) John Morgan, Columbia University, Gan Tian, ​​Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All three groups concluded that the Poincaré Problem had been successfully solved, but Chinese mathematicians Zhu Xiping and Cao Huidong, together with their teacher Yau Shintang, attempted to plagiarize, claiming that they had found “ full proof". They later retracted this statement.

In December 2005, Grigory Perelman resigned from the post of leading researcher of the laboratory of mathematical physics, resigned from POMI and almost completely broke off contacts with colleagues.

He showed no interest in a further scientific career. Currently, he lives in Kupchino in the same apartment with his mother, leads a secluded life, ignores the press.

Scientific contribution

Main article: Poincaré's hypothesis

In 1994 he proved the hypothesis about the soul (differential geometry).

Grigory Perelman, in addition to his outstanding natural talent, being a representative of the Leningrad geometric school, at the beginning of his work on the Poincaré Problem had a broader scientific outlook than his foreign colleagues. In addition to other major mathematical innovations that made it possible to overcome all the difficulties faced by mathematicians dealing with this problem, Perelman developed and applied the purely Leningrad theory of Aleksandrov spaces for the analysis of Ricci flows. In 2002, Perelman first published his pioneering work devoted to solving one of the special cases of William Thurston's geometrization hypothesis, which implies the validity of the famous Poincaré hypothesis formulated by the French mathematician, physicist and philosopher Henri Poincaré in 1904. The method described by the scientist for studying the Ricci flow was named Hamilton - Perelman theory.

Recognition and evaluation

In 1996 he was awarded the prize of the European Mathematical Society for young mathematicians, but refused to receive it.

In 2006, Grigory Perelman was awarded the Fields Medal international prize for solving the Poincaré hypothesis (the official formulation at the award: “For his contribution to geometry and his revolutionary ideas in the study of the geometric and analytical structure of the Ricci flow”), but he also rejected it.

In 2006, Science called the Proof of Poincaré's Theorem Breakthrough of the Year. Breakthrough of the year). This is the first work in mathematics to deserve such a title.

In 2006, Sylvia Nazar and David Gruber published the article "Manifold Destiny", which talks about Grigory Perelman, his work on solving the Poincaré Problem, ethical principles in science and the mathematical community, and also contains a rare interview with himself. The article devotes considerable space to criticism of the Chinese mathematician Yau Shintan, who, together with his students, tried to challenge the completeness of the proof of the Poincaré Hypothesis proposed by Grigory Perelman. From an interview with Grigory Perelman:

In 2006, The New York Times published an article by Dennis Overbye “Scientist at Work: Shing-Tung Yau. The Emperor of Math ". The article is devoted to the biography of Professor Yau Shintan and the scandal associated with accusations against him in attempts to belittle Perelman's contribution to the proof of the Poincaré Hypothesis. The article cites an unheard-of fact in mathematics - Yau Shintan hired a law firm to defend his case and threatened to prosecute his critics.

In 2007, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph published a list of "One Hundred Living Geniuses", in which Grigory Perelman ranks 9th. In addition to Perelman, only 2 Russians were included in this list - Garry Kasparov (25th place) and Mikhail Kalashnikov (83rd place).

In March 2010, the Clay Mathematical Institute awarded Grigory Perelman a US $ 1 million Proof of the Poincaré Conjecture Prize, the first ever Millennium Problem Award. In June 2010, Perelman ignored a mathematical conference in Paris, which was supposed to award the Millennium Prize for proving the Poincaré conjecture, and on July 1, 2010, he publicly announced his rejection of the prize, motivating it as follows:

Note that such a public assessment of the merits of Richard Hamilton by the mathematician who proved the Poincaré Hypothesis may be an example of nobility in science, since, according to Perelman himself, Hamilton, who collaborated with Yau Shintan, noticeably slowed down in his research, faced with insurmountable technical difficulties.

In September 2011, the Clay Institute, together with the Henri Poincaré Institute (Paris), established a position for young mathematicians, the money for which will come from the Millennium Prize awarded but not accepted by Grigory Perelman.

In 2011, Richard Hamilton and Demetrios Christodoul were awarded the so-called. Shao Prize in Mathematics of $ 1,000,000, also sometimes called the Nobel Prize of the East. Richard Hamilton was awarded for the creation of a mathematical theory, which was then developed by Grigory Perelman in his work on the proof of the Poincaré conjecture. It is known that Hamilton accepted this award.

Interesting Facts

• In his work "Formula of entropy for the Ricci flow and its geometric applications" (eng. The entropy formula for the Ricci flow and its geometric applications) Grigory Perelman humorously points out that his work was partially funded by personal savings saved during his visits to the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, State University of New York (SUNY), State University of New York at Stony Brook and the University of California in Berkeley, and thanks the organizers of these trips. At the same time, the official mathematical community allocated millions of grants to selected research groups in order to understand and test Perelman's work.
• When a member of the recruiting committee at Stanford University asked Perelman C.V. (summary), as well as letters of recommendation, Perelman objected:

• The Manifold Destiny article was noticed by the outstanding mathematician Vladimir Arnold, who suggested reprinting it in the Moscow journal Uspekhi Matematicheskikh Nauk, where he was a member of the editorial board. The editor-in-chief of the magazine, Sergei Novikov, refused him. According to Arnold, the refusal was due to the fact that the editor-in-chief of the magazine feared revenge from Yau, as he also worked in the United States.
• The biographical book of Masha Gessen tells about the fate of Perelman “Perfect rigor. Grigory Perelman: genius and the task of the millennium " based on numerous interviews with his teachers, classmates, co-workers and colleagues. Perelman's teacher Sergei Rukshin criticized the book.

• Grigory Perelman became the main actor documentary"The Charm of the Poincaré Hypothesis," directed by Masahito Kasuga, filmed by the Japanese public broadcaster NHK in 2008.
• In April 2010, the issue of the Khrushchob Millionaire talk show Let Them Talk was dedicated to Grigory Perelman. It was attended by friends of Grigory, his school teachers, as well as journalists who communicated with Perelman.
• In the 27th issue “ Big difference»On the First Channel a parody of Grigory Perelman was presented in the auditorium. The role of Perelman was simultaneously performed by 9 actors.
• It is a common misconception that the father of Grigory Yakovlevich Perelman is Yakov Isidorovich Perelman, a well-known popularizer of physics, mathematics and astronomy. However, Ya. I. Perelman died more than 20 years before the birth of Grigory Perelman.
• On April 28, 2011, "Komsomolskaya Pravda" reported that Perelman had given an interview to the executive producer of the Moscow film company "President-Film" Alexander Zabrovsky and agreed to shoot a feature film about him. Masha Gessen, however, doubts that these statements are true. Vladimir Gubailovsky also believes that the interview with Perelman is fictional.

The mathematician Perelman is a very famous person, despite the fact that he leads a secluded life and in every possible way avoids the press. His proof of Poincaré's hypothesis put him on a par with the greatest scientists in world history. The mathematician Perelman has turned down many awards from the scientific community. This man lives very modestly and is completely devoted to science. Of course, it is worth telling about him and his discovery in detail.

Father of Grigory Perelman

On June 13, 1966, Grigory Yakovlevich Perelman, a mathematician, was born. There are not many photos of him in the public domain, but the most famous are presented in this article. He was born in Leningrad, the cultural capital of our country. His father was an electrical engineer. He had nothing to do with science, as many believe.

Yakov Perelman

It is widely believed that Gregory is the son of Yakov Perelman, a well-known popularizer of science. However, this is a delusion, because he died in besieged Leningrad in March 1942, so he could not be a father in any way.This man was born in Bialystok, a city that previously belonged to Russian Empire, and is now part of Poland. Yakov Isidorovich was born in 1882.

Yakov Perelman, which is very interesting, was also attracted by mathematics. In addition, he was fond of astronomy and physics. This man is considered the founder of entertaining science, as well as one of the first who wrote works in the genre of popular science literature. He is the creator of the book Living Mathematics. Perelman has written many other books as well. In addition, his bibliography includes over a thousand articles. With regard to a book such as Living Mathematics, Perelman presents in it various puzzles associated with this science. Many of them are designed as short stories. This book is intended primarily for teenagers.

In one respect, the book by Yakov Perelman ("Entertaining Mathematics") is also particularly interesting. Trillion - do you know what that number is? It's 10 21. For a long time in the USSR, there were two parallel scales - "short" and "long". According to Perelman, "short" was used in financial calculations and everyday life, and "long" - in scientific works devoted to physics and astronomy. So, a trillion on a "short" scale does not exist. 10 21 is called sextillion in it. These scales generally differ significantly.

However, we will not dwell on this in detail and move on to the story of the contribution to science made by Grigory Yakovlevich, and not Yakov Isidorovich, whose achievements were less modest. By the way, it was not his famous namesake who instilled a love for science in Gregory.

Perelman's mother and her influence on Grigory Yakovlevich

The mother of the future scientist taught mathematics at vocational school. She was also a talented violinist. Probably, Grigory Yakovlevich took his love for mathematics, as well as for classical music from her. Both that and another equally attracted Perelman. When he was faced with the choice of where to enter - a conservatory or a technical university, he could not make up his mind for a long time. Who knows who Grigory Perelman could have become if he had decided to get a musical education.

The childhood of the future scientist

Already with young years Gregory was distinguished by his competent speech, both written and oral. He often amazed teachers at school with this. By the way, until the 9th grade, Perelman studied in a secondary school, apparently typical, of which there are so many on the outskirts. And then teachers from the Palace of Pioneers noticed a talented young man. He was taken to courses for gifted children. This contributed to the development of Perelman's unique talents.

Winning the Olympiad, graduating from school

From then on, the milestone of victories for Gregory begins. In 1982 he received it at the International Mathematical Olympiad held in Budapest. Perelman took part in it together with a team of Soviet schoolchildren. He received a full mark, having solved all problems flawlessly. Gregory graduated from the eleventh grade of the school in the same year. The very fact of participation in this prestigious Olympiad opened the doors of the best educational institutions of our country for him. But Grigory Perelman not only participated in it, but also received a gold medal.

It is not surprising that he was enrolled without exams in the Leningrad State University, at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics. By the way, Strange as it may seem, Gregory did not receive a gold medal at school. This was prevented by a physical education grade. Passing sports standards at that time was mandatory for everyone, including those who could hardly imagine themselves at the jumping pole or at the barbell. In the rest of the subjects, he studied for fives.

Study at LSU

Over the next few years, the future scientist continued his education at Leningrad State University. He participated, and with great success, in a variety of mathematical competitions. Perelman even managed to get a prestigious Lenin scholarship. So he became the owner of 120 rubles - a lot of money at that time. He must have been doing well at the time.

It must be said that the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics of this university, which is now called St. Soviet years one of the best in Russia. In 1924, for example, V. Leontiev graduated from it. Almost immediately after completing his studies, he received the Nobel Prize in Economics. This scientist is even called the father of the American economy. Leonid Kantorovich, the only national laureate of this prize, who received it for his contribution to this science, was a professor of mathematics.

Continuing education, life in the USA

After graduating from Leningrad State University, Grigory Perelman entered the Steklov Mathematical Institute to continue his postgraduate studies. Soon he flew to the USA to present this educational institution... This country has always been considered a state of unlimited freedom, especially in Soviet time among the inhabitants of our country. Many dreamed of seeing her, but the mathematician Perelman was not one of them. It seems that the temptations of the West have passed unnoticed for him. The scientist continued to lead a modest lifestyle, even a somewhat ascetic one. He ate sandwiches with cheese, washed down with kefir or milk. And of course the mathematician Perelman worked hard. In particular, he was involved in teaching. The scientist met with his fellow mathematicians. America bored him 6 years later.

Return to Russia

Gregory returned to Russia, to his native institute. Here he worked for 9 years. It was at this time, probably, that he began to understand that the road to "pure art" lies through isolation, isolation from society. Gregory decided to break off all his relations with colleagues. The scientist decided to lock himself in his Leningrad apartment and begin a grandiose work ...

Topology

It is not easy to explain what Perelman proved in mathematics. Only great lovers of this science can fully understand the significance of his discovery. We will try to explain in an accessible language about the hypothesis that Perelman brought out. Grigory Yakovlevich was attracted by topology. This is a branch of mathematics, often also called rubber sheet geometry. Topology studies geometric shapes that persist when the shape is bent, twisted, or stretched. In other words, if it is absolutely elastically deformed - without gluing, cuts and tears. Topology is very important for a discipline like mathematical physics. It gives an idea of ​​the properties of space. In our case, we are talking about an infinite space that is continuously expanding, that is, about the Universe.

Poincaré's hypothesis

The great French physicist, mathematician and philosopher J.A. Poincaré was the first to hypothesize on this score. This happened at the beginning of the 20th century. But it should be noted that he made an assumption, and did not provide a proof. Perelman set himself the task of proving this hypothesis, deriving, after a whole century, a logically verified mathematical solution.

When talking about its essence, they usually start as follows. Take the rubber disc. It should be pulled over the ball. Thus, you have a two-dimensional sphere. It is necessary that at one point the circumference of the disc is collected. For example, you can do this with a backpack by pulling and tying a cord around it. It turns out a sphere. Of course, for us it is three-dimensional, but from the point of view of mathematics it will be two-dimensional.

Then, already figurative projections and reasoning begin, which are difficult for an unprepared person to understand. We should now imagine a three-dimensional sphere, that is, a ball stretched over something, which goes into another dimension. The three-dimensional sphere, according to the hypothesis, is the only existing three-dimensional object that can be pulled together by a hypothetical "hypercord" at one point. The proof of this theorem helps us understand what shape the universe has. In addition, thanks to it, one can reasonably assume that the Universe is such a three-dimensional sphere.

Poincaré's hypothesis and the Big Bang theory

It should be noted that this hypothesis is a confirmation of the theory Big bang... If the Universe is the only "figure" whose distinctive feature is the ability to pull it down to one point, this means that it can be stretched in the same way. The question arises: if it is a sphere, what is outside the universe? Is a person who is a by-product related to only one planet Earth and not even to the cosmos as a whole capable of knowing this sacrament? Those who are interested can be invited to read the works of another world-famous mathematician - Stephen Hawking. However, he too cannot yet say anything concrete on this score. Let's hope that in the future another Perelman will appear and he will be able to solve this riddle, which torments the imagination of many. Who knows, maybe Grigory Yakovlevich himself will still be able to do this.

Nobel Prize in Mathematics

Perelman did not receive this prestigious award for his great achievement. Strange, isn't it? In fact, this can be explained very simply when you consider that such an award simply does not exist. A whole legend was created about the reasons why Nobel deprived the representatives of such an important science. To this day, no Nobel Prize in mathematics has been awarded. Perelman probably would have gotten it if it existed. There is a legend that the reason for Nobel's rejection of mathematicians is as follows: it was to the representative of this science that his bride left him. Whether it is true or not, but only with the onset of the 21st century, justice finally triumphed. It was then that another prize for mathematicians appeared. Let's briefly tell you about its history.

How did the Clay Institute Prize come about?

At a mathematical congress held in Paris in 1900, he proposed a list of 23 problems to be solved in the new, 20th century. To date, 21 of them have already been resolved. By the way, Yuri Matiyasevich, a graduate of the Leningrad State University Mathematics and Mechanics Department, completed solving 10 of these problems in 1970. At the beginning of the 21st century, the American Clay Institute compiled a similar list, consisting of seven problems in mathematics. They should have been solved already in the 21st century. A million dollar award was announced for each of them. Back in 1904, Poincaré formulated one of these problems. He hypothesized that all three-dimensional surfaces that are homotypically equivalent to a sphere are homeomorphic to it. Speaking in simple words, if a three-dimensional surface is somewhat similar to a sphere, then there is an opportunity to straighten it into a sphere. This statement of the scientist is sometimes called the formula of the universe due to its great importance in understanding complex physical processes, and also due to the fact that the answer to it means a solution to the question of the shape of the universe. It should also be said that this discovery plays an important role in the development of nanotechnology.

So, the Clay Mathematical Institute decided to choose the 7 most difficult problems. For the solution of each of them, a million dollars were promised. And now Grigory Perelman appears with the discovery he made. The math prize goes to him, of course. He was noticed quite quickly, since since 2002 he has been publishing his developments on foreign Internet resources.

How Perelman won the Clay Prize

So, in March 2010, Perelman was awarded the well-deserved award. An award in mathematics meant receiving an impressive fortune, the amount of which was $ 1 million. Grigory Yakovlevich was supposed to receive it for the proof. However, in June 2010, the scientist ignored the mathematical conference held in Paris, at which the presentation of this award was to take place. On July 1, 2010, Perelman announced his refusal in public. Moreover, he did not take the money put to him, despite all the requests.

Why did the mathematician Perelman refuse the prize?

Grigory Yakovlevich explained this by the fact that his conscience does not allow him to receive a million, due to several other mathematicians. The scientist noted that he had many reasons both to take money and not to take it. For a long time he could not make up his mind. Grigory Perelman, a mathematician, named disagreement with the scientific community as the main reason for refusing the award. He noted that he considers his decisions to be unfair. Grigory Yakovlevich said that he believes that the contribution of Hamilton, a German mathematician, to the solution of this problem is no less than his.

By the way, a little later an anecdote on this topic even appeared: mathematicians need to allocate millions more often, perhaps someone will nevertheless decide to take them. A year after Perelman's rejection, Demetrios Christodoul and Richard Hamilton were awarded the Shaw Prize. The size of this math award is one million dollars. This prize is sometimes referred to as the Nobel Prize of the East. Hamilton received it for the creation of a mathematical theory. It was this idea that was later developed by the Russian mathematician Perelman in his works devoted to the proof of the Poincaré conjecture. Richard accepted this award.

Other awards refused by Grigory Perelman

By the way, in 1996 Grigory Yakovlevich was awarded the prestigious prize for young mathematicians from the European Mathematical Community. However, he refused to receive it.

10 years later, in 2006, the scientist was awarded the Fields Medal for solving the Poincaré hypothesis. Grigory Yakovlevich refused her too.

Science magazine in 2006 called the proof of the hypothesis created by Poincaré the scientific breakthrough of the year. It should be noted that this is the first work in the field of mathematics that has earned such a title.

David Gruber and Sylvia Nazar published an article titled Manifold Destiny in 2006. It talks about Perelman, about his solution to the Poincaré problem. In addition, the article tells about the mathematical community and about the ethical principles existing in science. It also contains a rare interview with Perelman. Much has been said about the criticism of Yau Shintan, a Chinese mathematician. Together with his students, he tried to challenge the completeness of the evidence presented by Grigory Yakovlevich. In an interview, Perelman noted: "Those who violate ethical standards in science are not considered outsiders. People like me are those who find themselves in isolation."

In September 2011, he refused from membership in Russian Academy mathematician Perelman. His biography is presented in a book published in the same year. From it you can learn more about the fate of this mathematician, although the information collected is based on the testimony of third parties. Its author - The book was compiled on the basis of interviews with classmates, teachers, colleagues and colleagues of Perelman. Sergei Rukshin, the teacher of Grigory Yakovlevich, spoke critically about her.

Grigory Perelman today

And today he leads a secluded life. Mathematician Perelman ignores the press in every possible way. Where does he live? Until recently, Grigory Yakovlevich lived with his mother in Kupchino. And since 2014, the famous Russian mathematician Grigory Perelman has been in Sweden.

In social networks, the message that the famous mathematician Grigory Perelman was mired in poverty caused a stir. A message from Alexander Rodin, a resident of St. Petersburg, spread on Facebook with calls to help the scientist. He drew attention to "a man walking in front, in very short and wrinkled trousers, completely without socks", and when this man greeted him, he realized that it was Perelman.

“My heart is already ready to scream at this terrible sight: one of the greatest mathematicians in the world, in fact, dies in complete loneliness and poverty ... Every week he is getting closer to that fatal line, beyond which he will inevitably die from starvation ... If we will not be able to find an opportunity to help him now, Gregory will definitely not be here soon ... ", another user quotes him. Mikhail Bogomolov calling on Petersburgers to cooperate.

However, those who are more familiar with Perelman did not see a problem in his image.

“Have you just now seen that he is wearing galoshes on his bare feet? - surprised director who previously made a film about mathematics. - I have been living with this shocking fact for a year. He is different and this is his choice. But it is he, of course, in vain so dressed out of season. Perhaps he is experimenting with himself. He is good. Maybe he'll still get better. "

They disagree with the fact that Perelman has some problems, and the neighbors - according to them, he used to dress like that and was unsociable before. Guests did not come to the mathematician, he did not talk to strangers. But he politely greeted the neighbors and wished them a Happy New Year.

The social worker denied rumors that Perelman had no money - Last year he lectures in mathematics and gets decent money transfers.

Later, Rodin deleted the message from his page, and Bogomolov asked everyone not to worry anymore and thanked them for their responses.

Perelman is famous for his rejection of the reward for proving the Poincaré conjecture.

The mathematician explained that one of the reasons for refusing the award was his disagreement with the decisions of the organized mathematical community.

“In short, the main reason is disagreement with the organized mathematical community. I do not like their decisions, I consider them unfair, ”- Perelman. He also added that he considers his contribution to the proof of Poincaré's conjecture from the American mathematician to be no less.

The Clay Mathematical Institute announced its decision to give the award to Perelman on March 19, 2010. The papers for which the mathematician received the award were written by him in 2002, and they were posted in the archive of electronic preprints, and not published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. In his calculations, Perelman completed the proof of Thurston's geometrization conjecture, which is directly related to Poincaré's conjecture.

Two articles totaling 61 pages shook the entire mathematical community.

From all sides, Perelman was bombarded with offers to write a rigorous proof, publish articles in the world's leading journals, go to work in the best institutes, etc. The editorial staff of the journal Nature invited Perelman to write an article for them about his discovery. Perelman refused everything and, according to his acquaintances, "went into the woods."

In 2006, Perelman was awarded the Fields Prize for this work, often referred to as the Nobel Prize for Mathematicians. The Russian mathematician also refused this award.

The rejection of the Fields Prize was harsher.

“I am not interested in money or fame. I don’t want to be exposed in front of people like an animal in a zoo, ”Perelman said at the time. - I'm not a hero of mathematics. I'm not even that successful, that's why I don't want everyone to look at me. "

After the refusal of the prize for proving the Poincaré hypothesis, Perelman's neighbors gave shocking comments to foreign media about the life of mathematics.

“Once I was in his apartment and I was amazed. There is only a table, a chair and a bed with dirty mattresses left over from the previous alcoholic owners who sold him the apartment. In addition, there are so many cockroaches that we cannot get them out of our apartments located on the same site, ”said neighbor Vera Petrovna.

He himself did not go out to the journalists. He just said through a closed door: "I have everything I want."

On November 11, 2002, an article by the St. Petersburg mathematician Grigory Perelman, in which he gave proofs of Poincaré's conjecture. Thus, the hypothesis became the first solved problem of the millennium - this is the name of mathematical questions, the answers to which have not been found for many years. Eight years later, the Clay Mathematical Institute awarded the scientist a prize of one million US dollars for this achievement, but Perelman refused it, saying that he did not need money and, moreover, did not agree with the official mathematical community. The refusal of a poor mathematician from a large sum aroused surprise in all strata of society. For this and for his reclusive lifestyle, Perelman is called the strangest Russian scientist. the site learned how Grigory Perelman lives and what he does today.

Mathematician # 1

Now Grigory Perelman is 51 years old. The scientist leads a secluded life: he practically does not leave the house, does not give interviews and is not officially employed anywhere. The mathematician never had close friends, but people who are familiar with Perelman say: he was not always like this.

“I remember Grisha as a teenager,” says Perelman’s housemate, Sergey Krasnov... - Although we live on different floors, we see each other sometimes. Previously, we could talk to his mother, Lyubov Leibovna, but now I rarely meet her. He and Grigory periodically go out for a walk, and so they are constantly at home. When I see you, they will nod quickly and move on. They don't communicate with anyone. And in his school years, Grisha was no different from other boys. Of course, even then he was actively interested in science and sat at books a lot, but he also found time for other things. He studied music, went out with friends, went in for sports. And then he sacrificed all his interests to mathematics. Was it worth it? Do not know".

Grigory always took first places in mathematics Olympiads, but once victory eluded him: in the eighth grade at the All-Union Olympiad, Perelman became only second. Since then, he has given up all his hobbies and leisure, plunging headlong into books, reference books and encyclopedias. Soon he made up for lost time and became the youngest mathematician number 1 in the country.

Seclusion

Krasnov declares: none of the residents of their house doubted that Perelman would become a great scientist. “When we learned that Grisha had proved Poincaré's hypothesis, which no other person in the world could have done, we were not even surprised,” the pensioner admits. - Of course, we were very happy for him, we decided: finally Grigory will break into people, make a dizzying career! Well done, he deserves it! But he chose a different path for himself. "

Perelman refused a cash prize of a million dollars, justifying his decision with disagreement with the official mathematical community, while adding that he does not need money.

After the name of Perelman thundered all over the world, the mathematician was invited to the United States. In America, the scientist made reports, exchanged experience with foreign colleagues and explained his methods of solving mathematical problems. The publicity quickly bored him. Returning to Russia, Perelman voluntarily left the post of leading researcher of the laboratory of mathematical physics, resigned from the St. Petersburg branch of the Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and reduced his communication with colleagues to zero. Several years later, they wanted to make Perelman a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, but he refused. Having cut off almost all contacts with the outside world, the scientist locked himself in his apartment in Kupchino, on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, where he lives with his mother.

"Grisha was tortured with attention"

Now a mathematician very rarely leaves the house and spends whole days solving new problems. “Grisha and his mother live on the same pension as Lyubov Leibovna,” says Krasnov. - We, the tenants of the house, in no way condemn Grisha - they say, the man is in his prime, but does not bring money to the family, does not help the old mother. There is no such. He is a genius, and geniuses cannot be condemned. Once they even wanted to throw off the whole house, financially help them. But they refused - they said that they had enough. Lyubov Leibovna always said that Grisha is unpretentious: he has worn jackets or boots for decades, and for lunch he has enough macaroni and cheese. Well, don’t, so don’t. ”

According to the neighbors, any person in Perelman's place would become unsociable and closed: although the mathematician has not given reasons for discussion for a long time, his person still cannot be ignored. “Some journalists are on duty day and night at Perelman’s door,” says Sergei Petrovich indignantly. - Once we waited until Grisha and his mother left the apartment for a walk. The hefty cameraman literally dared Lyubov Leibovna to film the situation in their apartment - they weren't very tidy, and they decided to focus on this. And the young correspondent pounced on Perelman himself with questions. After that, they did not go anywhere for a long time. Here everyone will have stress! Grisha was tortured with attention! "

The residents of the house are sure that Perelman will still make himself known by making a new discovery in the field of mathematics. “His works will not be wasted,” says Krasnov. "You just need to leave him alone and let him live in peace."

The brilliant mathematician Grigory Perelman shocked scientific world, proving the Poincaré conjecture - one of the hardest riddles millennium. And the townsfolk were surprised by the refusal of a poor scientist from the prescribed premium of a million dollars. Gradually, the genius himself and his reclusive lifestyle became a mystery, comparable in complexity to the proven theorem.

Childhood and youth

Grigory Yakovlevich leads a secretive lifestyle. The facts of childhood, adolescence and personal life of the scientist are known from the words of neighbors, school teachers and classmates, colleagues who worked together with the mathematician.

Perelman was born on June 13, 1966 in Leningrad. The surname of the brilliant mathematician speaks for itself about nationality. From childhood, the Jewish boy showed incredible abilities and interest in learning. At a time when peers were playing the ball in the yard, little Grisha preferred to read books and play chess.

Contrary to popular belief, Yakov Isidorovich Perelman, a famous scientist, author of books and popularizer of sciences, is not a relative of Grigory Yakovlevich.

Gregory's father is an electrical engineer. In 1993, Perelman Sr. immigrated to his historical homeland in Israel, like thousands of his compatriots in the 90s. The mother of the future outstanding mathematician stayed with the children in Leningrad, taught mathematics at the school.

Grigory Yakovlevich has a younger sister who has built a scientific career. After receiving a degree in mathematics at St. Petersburg University, the woman later left for Sweden. Since 2007 he has been working as a programmer in Stockholm.

By the time the boy went to school, he significantly surpassed his classmates in knowledge, easily counted three-digit numbers in his mind. Perelman's teachers recall that the student conducted conversations on an equal footing with adults.

The magic of logic and numbers attracted Grigory Yakovlevich. From the 5th grade, the boy attended the math center at the Palace of Pioneers. The mentor of the young prodigies was the assistant professor Pedagogical University named after Sergei Rukshin. Young Grisha received awards for participating in the Olympiads, including the highest score at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

After graduating from a nine-year school in an ordinary Leningrad school, the graduate moved to a specialized physics and mathematics school No. 239. Without a doubt, the hardworking and talented Perelman studied perfectly. Failed physical training. Failure to pass the TRP standards prevented the graduate from receiving a gold medal.

It is not surprising that after school Gregory without entrance exams accepted to the Leningrad State University at the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics. At the university, Perelman continued to shine at the Olympiads, and received the Lenin Prize for excellent learning outcomes.

The science

After graduation, postgraduate studies followed, then doctoral defense. As a result, the gifted scientist stayed to work at the university that became his hometown as a senior researcher.

In the early 90s, the talented scientist went to the United States, where he visited several universities as part of the exchange of experience. In the United States, the mathematician lectured and met with colleagues. Soon the ascetic Perelman got bored with America, and the scientist returned to his homeland.

Having resumed work at the Leningrad university, the mathematician begins to work hard on the mystery of the millennium, which the ingenious scientists of the century were unable to solve. It is worth noting that Perelman's fascination with topology had begun a few years earlier. Earlier, the mathematician was able to prove the hypothesis of the soul, which preceded the study of the Poincaré hypothesis.

The meaning of the proof of the hypothesis, however, like the very essence, cannot be described simple language understandable for a person who is far from higher mathematics. The discoveries made by the mathematician are of great importance in the study of the Universe, in the work with nanotechnology.

In addition, the hypothesis states that the peculiarity of the shape of the Universe leads to the fact that it can be pulled into one point. This, in turn, indirectly confirms the Big Bang theory. Supporters of the theological origin of the Universe have received reason to doubt about God as the creator of all things. Poincaré's hypothesis proves that there is no God.

In 2002-2003, Perelman published articles that reveal the essence of the evidence. Three independent groups of mathematicians, having verified the arguments, confirmed the complete proof.

In 2003, Perelman visited the United States, lectured on his own discovery, and shared his experience with his compatriots. And in 2005, the scientist unexpectedly leaves the department and locks himself in an apartment in Kupchino, where he lives with his sick mother.

Personal life

The reclusive lifestyle leaves hundreds of questions. The main one that interests journalists and citizens is the reason why Grigory Perelman refused the money that rightfully belongs to him. This is the Clay Institute Prize. The Mathematical Institute has compiled a list of seven riddles that are eligible for a million dollar reward. Poincaré's hypothesis was included in this list.

Of course, having learned about the discovery of a Russian scientist, the founders immediately turned to the scientist. Imagine the general surprise when the mathematician refused a million dollars without explaining the reasons.

Soon, Grigory Yakovlevich stopped communicating with the press altogether. He simply ignores Russian journalists, and refuses to give interviews to foreign ones. News of such behavior of the scientist led to rumors about Perelman's illness. The genius was claimed to be autistic. However, reliable confirmation or conclusions of doctors have not yet been made public.

It is known that the scientist lives with his mother, who is seriously ill. The mathematician has no wife. According to the stories of the teacher Grigory Yakovlevich, who maintains a relationship with him, the mother and son live in poverty.

In 2018, information appeared that the mathematician had moved to Sweden. However, sources in the person of neighbors and shop assistants denied the rumors and confirmed that Perelman had not gone anywhere.

• While working in the States, the scientist surprised his foreign colleagues with his unpretentiousness and detachment from everyday needs. The mathematician's favorite food was cheese sandwiches, which Grigory Yakovlevich drank with kefir or milk. Restaurants and an abundance of grocery stores did not interest the "strange Russian".

• As a child, Grigory was fond of music. Mother instilled in her son the adoration of classical composers. She, being a talented violinist, introduced Grisha to the instrument. Perelman attended a music school with pleasure, and then he faced a difficult choice - to enter the conservatory or to devote himself to the exact sciences.
• Conspiracy theorists have said that Perelman is the most influential person on earth because he knows how to rule the universe. Of course, such a person did not escape attention. secret services, and communication with others is prohibited for the scientist.

Quotes

I know how to run the universe. And tell me - why should I run after a million?

The whole world is permeated by emptiness, and it obeys formulas - this gives us limitless possibilities.

If you can train your arms and legs, why can't you train your brain?

There is, perhaps, no unsolvable problem. Difficult to solve. That's more accurate.

Remember the biblical legend about how Jesus Christ walked on water, like dry land? So I had to calculate how fast he had to move through the waters so as not to fall through.

Awards and prizes

• 1991 - Prize "Young Mathematician" of the St. Petersburg Mathematical Society
• 1996 - Prize of the European Mathematical Society for Young Mathematicians
• 2006 - Fields Medal Award
• 2010 - Clay Mathematical Institute Prize