john nash biography book

The Essential John Nash

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Mathematics

• Harold W. Kuhn
• Sylvia Nasar

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When John Nash won the Nobel prize in economics in 1994, many people were surprised to learn that he was alive and well. Since then, Sylvia Nasar’s celebrated biography A Beautiful Mind , the basis of a new major motion picture, has revealed the man. The Essential John Nash reveals his work—in his own words. This book presents, for the first time, the full range of Nash’s diverse contributions not only to game theory, for which he received the Nobel, but to pure mathematics—from Riemannian geometry and partial differential equations—in which he commands even greater acclaim among academics. Included are nine of Nash’s most influential papers, most of them written over the decade beginning in 1949. From 1959 until his astonishing remission three decades later, the man behind the concepts “Nash equilibrium” and “Nash bargaining”—concepts that today pervade not only economics but nuclear strategy and contract talks in major league sports—had lived in the shadow of a condition diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia. In the introduction to this book, Nasar recounts how Nash had, by the age of thirty, gone from being a wunderkind at Princeton and a rising mathematical star at MIT to the depths of mental illness. In his preface, Harold Kuhn offers personal insights on his longtime friend and colleague; and in introductions to several of Nash’s papers, he provides scholarly context. In an afterword, Nash describes his current work, and he discusses an error in one of his papers. A photo essay chronicles Nash’s career from his student days in Princeton to the present. Also included are Nash’s Nobel citation and autobiography. The Essential John Nash makes it plain why one of Nash’s colleagues termed his style of intellectual inquiry as “like lightning striking.” All those inspired by Nash’s dazzling ideas will welcome this unprecedented opportunity to trace these ideas back to the exceptional mind they came from.

"If you want to see a sugary Hollywood depiction of John Nash's life, go to the cinema. Afterwards, if you are curious about his insights, pick up a new book that explains his work and reprints his most famous papers. It is just as amazing as his personal story."—Chris Giles, Financial Times

"One of the most beautifully designed economics books I have ever seen and at a low price. . . . Why are we so intrigued by the story of John Nash? We are curious to understand a person who proves theorems we are unable to fathom. We imagine the voices from another world he has heard. We ask where he was for 30 years during which he walked among us but wasn't here. We are frightened and we are attracted by this combination of 'crazy' and 'genius', an invitation for visiting the edge of our own minds."—Ariel Rubinstein, The Times Higher Education Supplement

"Any mathematician who read A Beautiful Mind . . . had to be looking for the appendices—the ones explaining what Nash actually did to earn his formidable reputation within the mathematical community. Well, here they are, in a beautifully produced volume. . . . Kuhn, Nasar, and the other contributors have performed a most welcome service by collaborating to bring together the pieces missing from A Beautiful Mind . . . . The mathematical community is eternally in their debt."— SIAM News

"The book is written in a pleasant and informal style, addressed to a large audience."—P.T. Moranu, Mathematica

"John Nash's creative work in game theory has of course had the most profound influence on both its mathematics and its practical applications in economics. It is very good to see his work in this area joined with his other mathematical contributions in a single volume, to give a more rounded perspective."—Kenneth J. Arrow, 1972 Nobel Laureate in Economics

"These papers are among the most important original contributions to mathematics of the twentieth century. They have been extremely influential and their influence continues to grow."—Joseph J. Kohn, Princeton University

"John Nash has attracted enormous popular interest over the past few years. In many ways, the notion of equilibrium in game theory that bears his name is the central concept in game theory, which has led to a revolution in the field of economics. This book, by bringing together Nash's work in game theory and in mathematics, will allow readers to appreciate the scope of his work."—David M. Kreps, Stanford Business School

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The story of John Forbes Nash Jr

A Beautiful Mind

The 1999 book (biography) a beautiful mind.

Published in 1998, this biography became a major success and entered the New York Times Bestseller List’ for biographies. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for a biography, and was also one of three final nominees for the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.

The 2001 movie A Beautiful Mind, directed by Ron Howard and starring Russell Crowe as John Nash, was inspired by the biography.

Short facts about the book A Beautiful Mind

The 2001 movie A Beautiful Mind

The 2001 film A Beautiful Mind was inspired by the biography of the same name, but differs from the book in several notable ways. The focus of the movie is on Nash’s mental health issues and how they affect those around him, especially his wife Alicia.

The movie was directed by Ron Howard, with screenplay by Akiva Goldsman, and starring Russel Crowe and Jennifer Connelly in the roles of John and Alicia Nash.

This film was generally well received and won several notable awards, including Academy Awards (“Oscars”) in the categories Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress.

Made on a $58 million budget, the movie grossed over $313 million worldwide.

Short facts about the movie A Beautiful Mind

The mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr.

John Forbes Nash Jr (1928-2015) was United States mathematician, known for his contributions to game theory, differential geometry and the study of partial differential equations. Between 1945 and 1996, he published 23 scientific studies. His contributions to game theory have far reaching implications for a large number of industries.  His theorems have made everything from currency trading to shipping and retail more efficient.

So far, Nash is the only person to recieve both the Nobel Prize and the Abel Prize. In 1994, he was one of three recipients of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, a price commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize in Economics. In 2015, Nash and Louis Nirenberg recieved the Abel Prize, a prestigious Norwegian prize modelled on the Nobel Prize, for outstanding achievements in mathematics. Nash was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contributions to game theory, while the Abel Prize was bestoved upon him for his work on nonlinear partial differential equations.

Nash’s Alma Master was Princeton University, where he also worked briefly after earning his Ph. D there in 1950 with his dissertation on non-cooperative games. After Princeton he accepted a position at MIT, and also consulted for the RAND Corporation. In 1958, he earned tenure at MIT.

In 1959, Nash was hospitalized and diagnosed with shizofrenia. During the 1960s, he spent several periods in physiatric in-patient care as he tried to battle he paranoid dillusions brought on by the disease. In 1970, his ex-wife Alicia allowed him to move in with her as a border, and after this he was not hospitalized again.

Nash gradually learned to manage his condition, and could eventually begin to do some work in mathematics again and audit courses at Princeton. At Princeton, he became known as “The Phantom of the Hall” – a reclusive figure who could sometimes be seen in the middle of the night at the mathematics center, scribbling equations on the blackboards.

Eventually, Nash got well enough to teach again. He and Alicia, who had remained his close friend and keen supporter throughout his struggle, rekindled their romantic relationship in the 1990s and remarried in 2001.

On 23 May, 2015, John and Alicia Nash were killed in New Jersey as the taxi they were travelling in crashed.

Short facts about John Forbes Nash Jr

This article was last updated on: November 15, 2018

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A Beautiful Mind : A Biography of John Forbes Nash, Jr. Hardcover – June 12, 1998

Based on hundreds of interviews with Nash's family, friends, and colleagues and scores of letters and documents, A Beautiful Mind is a heartbreaking but inspiring story about the most remarkable mathematician of our time and his triumph over a tragic illness.

• Print length 464 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Simon & Schuster
• Publication date June 12, 1998
• Dimensions 6.75 x 1.75 x 10 inches
• ISBN-10 0684819066
• ISBN-13 978-0684819068
• See all details

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com review.

Economist and journalist Sylvia Nasar has written a biography of Nash that looks at all sides of his life. She gives an intelligent, understandable exposition of his mathematical ideas and a picture of schizophrenia that is evocative but decidedly unromantic. Her story of the machinations behind Nash's Nobel is fascinating and one of very few such accounts available in print (the CIA could learn a thing or two from the Nobel committees). This highly recommended book is indeed "a story about the mystery of the human mind, in three acts: genius, madness, reawakening." --Mary Ellen Curtin

From Publishers Weekly

From library journal, from the new england journal of medicine.

Reviewed by Richard J. Wyatt, M.D. Copyright © 1998 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS.

From Booklist

From kirkus reviews, about the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster; First Edition (June 12, 1998)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0684819066
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0684819068
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.65 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.75 x 1.75 x 10 inches
• #179 in Game Theory (Books)
• #533 in Mathematics History
• #1,650 in Scientist Biographies

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Sylvia nasar.

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