Modern World 19
1 One of the most outstanding minds of our time has “left.” “Left” is the word Paul Erdos, a gifted and productive mathematician, used for “died.” “Died” is the word he used to mean “stopped doing mathematics.” Erdos never died. He continued doing mathematics right until the day he died in 1996. He was 83.
2 It wasn’t just his vocabulary that was unusual. Erdos’ whole life was so unlikely no novelist could have invented him. He had no address, no home, no family, no possessions. He went from math conference to math conference, from university to university, knocking on the doors of mathematicians throughout the world.
3 Erdos traveled with two suitcases, each half-full. One had a few clothes; the other, mathematical papers. He owned nothing else. Nothing! His friends took care of the affairs of everyday life for him. He did numbers. He never married. He left no children.
4 But in reality he did: hundreds of co-authors and thousands of mathematical papers produced with them. Mathematicians tend to grow early and die early. The great French mathematician Galois died at 21. And those who don’t literally die young, die young in Erdos’ sense. By 30, they’ve lost it. But Erdos didn’t. At 20 he discovered a proof for a classic theorem of number theory. He remained productive till his death.
5 Erdos was gentle, open and generous with others. He believed in making mathematics a social activity. Hundreds of colleagues who have published with him or been advised by him can trace some discovery to an evening with Erdos.
6 He didn’t just share his genius. He shared his money. It seems comical to say so because he had so little. But, in fact, it is rather touching. He had so little because he gave away everything he earned. He was too generous for whatever hard-luck story he heard.
7 A few years ago, Erdos heard of a promising young mathematician who wanted to go to Harvard University but was short of the money needed. Erdos arranged to see him and lent him $1,000. He told the young man he could pay it back when he was able to. Recently, the young man called Erdos to say that he had gone through Harvard and was now teaching at Michigan and could finally pay the money back. Erdos said, “You do with the $1,000 what I did.”
2 It wasn’t just his vocabulary that was unusual. Erdos’ whole life was so unlikely no novelist could have invented him. He had no address, no home, no family, no possessions. He went from math conference to math conference, from university to university, knocking on the doors of mathematicians throughout the world.
3 Erdos traveled with two suitcases, each half-full. One had a few clothes; the other, mathematical papers. He owned nothing else. Nothing! His friends took care of the affairs of everyday life for him. He did numbers. He never married. He left no children.
4 But in reality he did: hundreds of co-authors and thousands of mathematical papers produced with them. Mathematicians tend to grow early and die early. The great French mathematician Galois died at 21. And those who don’t literally die young, die young in Erdos’ sense. By 30, they’ve lost it. But Erdos didn’t. At 20 he discovered a proof for a classic theorem of number theory. He remained productive till his death.
5 Erdos was gentle, open and generous with others. He believed in making mathematics a social activity. Hundreds of colleagues who have published with him or been advised by him can trace some discovery to an evening with Erdos.
6 He didn’t just share his genius. He shared his money. It seems comical to say so because he had so little. But, in fact, it is rather touching. He had so little because he gave away everything he earned. He was too generous for whatever hard-luck story he heard.
7 A few years ago, Erdos heard of a promising young mathematician who wanted to go to Harvard University but was short of the money needed. Erdos arranged to see him and lent him $1,000. He told the young man he could pay it back when he was able to. Recently, the young man called Erdos to say that he had gone through Harvard and was now teaching at Michigan and could finally pay the money back. Erdos said, “You do with the $1,000 what I did.”
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