The great mathematician gave his first interview
For a year already, Grigory Perelman, who proved the Poincaré theorem, over which all scientists of the world fought for decades, refused the prize of a million dollars awarded to him! It is difficult to say that we, the inhabitants, were more amazed: that OUR scientist bypassed all others, or that he refused astronomical money! Immediately I wanted to ask: "What kind of rich man is weird here ?!" As it turned out, Grigory Yakovlevich lives in St. Petersburg, in a Khrushchev, with his mother, practically vegetating in poverty … But he is not interested in what ordinary men are interested in - money, wine, women … Perelman has never been married. Having become a "millionaire from khrushchob", he closed himself from the whole world. He lives as a hermit, occasionally goes out with a string bag to the store. Communicates only with a few close ones. Does not cut, shave, does not cut nails.
The paparazzi were on duty at the threshold of his house, but Perelman, barely spotting the "stranger", literally gave a fight. Not a single journalist has yet managed to achieve a personal meeting with Mr. Perelman. Now in America, a book has been published about Perelman by an American journalist who … never managed to meet with him, although she sat for days near his entrance. Recently, however, one lucky one got lucky. He not only managed to communicate with the great mathematician, but also … got his consent to shoot a feature film about him! We talked with this man who reached out to Perelman's heart - the executive producer of the Moscow film company President-Film, Alexander Zabrovsky. And also, with his permission, we publish excerpts of Perelman's interview, which he gave to the film company.
Zabrovsky: "Perelman is an absolutely normal person"
… In fact, Alexander Zabrovsky is my colleague. A professional journalist, he once worked in Moscow, and then left for Israel, where he opened his own studio of independent investigations. In parallel, he is engaged in cinema. Actually, I asked Zabrovsky in due time to deal with the riddle of Perelman, to help interview the brilliant scientist. It seemed to me that the mathematician does not really trust the Russian media. And Alexander coped with the task brilliantly, moreover, he decided to shoot his film about him.
“I specially came here from Tel Aviv to meet with a mathematician,” says Alexander. - I knew that he did not communicate with anyone, but we decided to go all the way. I contacted the Jewish community in St. Petersburg. Through her, we first went to the mother of Grigory Yakovlevich, helping her. And then my mother talked to her brilliant son and described us well. And Grigory Yakovlevich trusted us. He told me that he does not communicate with Russian journalists because of the disrespectful attitude towards him. For example, in the press he is called "Grisha". And this familiarity offends him. Journalists are interested: why refused a million? Doesn't cut her nails? And this man is a philosopher, a genius. He is interested in global problems … Grigory Yakovlevich first agreed to meet with me. I called him: "Grigory Yakovlevich, I want to clarify the place of the meeting."“Square opposite the Mariinsky Theater. At twelve o'clock at the monument to Glinka. " Grigory Yakovlevich slowly walked over, sat down on a bench …
Reports that paparazzi are on the heels of Perelman are greatly exaggerated. Nobody was watching him. He calmly came to the place on foot. We were sitting in full view, but no one bothered us, did not come up and did not ask Grigory Yakovlevich for an autograph. We had a wonderful conversation. He made the impression of an absolutely sane, healthy, adequate and normal person. Realistic, pragmatic and sane, but not devoid of sentimentality and excitement …
Everything that was attributed to him in the press, as if he was "not himself" - complete nonsense! He knows exactly what he wants and knows how to get things done. We talked with him for two hours in a row - an unusually interesting interlocutor. He liked that I was interested not in the details of his everyday life, but in the problems of scientists in general, on a global scale. Perelman agreed to participate in writing the script for the future film "Formula of the Universe". And also, perhaps, we will include fragments of his interview in the film. Grigory Yakovlevich himself expressed a desire to cooperate with a professor at the University of Massachusetts Sylvia Nazar. We went to Sylvia and signed a contract with her. They showed it to Perelman. In general, work is progressing. But not as fast as we would like. I am in charge of fundraising. I am negotiating with America for partial financing of the film. In his film,which we are doing together with Perelman, we want to talk about the cooperation and confrontation between the three main world mathematical schools: Russian, Chinese and American, which are the most advanced in the study and control of the Universe. American scientist Hamilton and Russian Perelman did the main thing - they found a way to understand the shape of our Universe. The film is about cognition of the Universe and people who cognize it. About ethical "standards" in science, about forced conformism of scientists … When asked why Perelman refused a million, he replied: what is a million dollars for a person who controls the Universe?American scientist Hamilton and Russian Perelman did the main thing - they found a way to understand the shape of our Universe. The film is about cognition of the Universe and people who cognize it. About ethical "standards" in science, about forced conformism of scientists … When asked why Perelman refused a million, he replied: what is a million dollars for a person who controls the Universe?American scientist Hamilton and Russian Perelman did the main thing - they found a way to understand the shape of our Universe. The film is about cognition of the Universe and people who cognize it. About ethical "standards" in science, about forced conformism of scientists … When asked why Perelman refused a million, he replied: what is a million dollars for a person who controls the Universe?
INTERVIEW FRAGMENTS
Perelman: “I can calculate emptiness”
- Grigory Yakovlevich, as a schoolboy you represented the USSR at the Mathematical Olympiad in Budapest. And they took the gold medal …
- Preparing for the Olympiad, we tried to solve problems where the ability to think abstractly was an indispensable condition. This abstraction from mathematical logic was the main point of daily training. To find the right solution, it was necessary to imagine a “piece of the world”.
- Not difficult for schoolchildren?
- If we talk about conditioned and unconditioned reflexes, an infant learns the world from birth. If you can train your arms and legs, then why can't you train your brain?
- But don't you remember some problem of that time that seemed insoluble?
- Undecidable … Perhaps not. Intractable. 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.
- The calculations were correct?
- Well, if the legend still exists, then I was not mistaken either. There is no particular mystery here. Thanks to our teachers, we have already studied topology quite well - the science that allows us to understand the properties of space and operate with formulas, understanding their applied meaning, which helps to achieve fast and accurate results. By the way, at that time I did not consider the victory at the Olympiad to be some kind of significant event - it was just one of many stages of cognition in my favorite science.
Grigory Yakovlevich lives with his mother (pictured), who, like no one else, understands him …
Could become a musician
- Do you know that I had to smash my head choosing a profession?
- How so?
- I had the right to enter any educational institution of the Soviet Union without exams. So he hesitated between the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics and the Conservatory. I chose mathematics … Now it is very interesting for me to remember my student years. We did so much then … The process of cognition was exciting … We forgot about the days of the week and the time of year.
- In your twenties, you said a new word in science …
- I didn't say any words … I just continued to explore the problems of studying the properties of the three-dimensional space of the Universe. It is very interesting.
- Have you tried to grasp the immensity?
- Quite right … But any immense is also comprehensible. He wrote his dissertation under the guidance of Academician Aleksandrov. The topic was simple: "Saddle surfaces in Euclidean geometry." Can you imagine, in infinity, surfaces that are equal in size and unevenly spaced from each other? We need to measure the "valleys" between them.
- Is that a theory?
- This is already practice. In what orbit will the spaceship fly to the constellation Canis? What obstacles will he meet on his way … Do you want it even easier? Is it worth mowing hay between three hills? How many people and cars are needed for this? The Ministry of Agriculture, it turns out, is useless. There is a formula. Use it. Count it. And you are not afraid of any crises.
- Isn't it scholasticism?
- This is a wheel, an ax, a hammer, an anvil - anything you like, but not scholasticism. Let's figure it out. The peculiarities of modern mathematics are that it studies artificially invented objects. There are no multidimensional spaces in nature, there are no groups, fields and rings, the properties of which are intensively studied by mathematicians. And if in technology new apparatuses, all kinds of devices are constantly being created, then in mathematics their analogs are created - logical methods for analysts in any field of science. And any mathematical theory, if it is rigorous, sooner or later finds application. For example, many generations of mathematicians and philosophers have tried to axiomatize philosophy. As a result of these attempts, the theory of Boolean functions was created, named after the Irish mathematician and philosopher George Boole. This theory became the core of cybernetics and general control theory,which, together with the achievements of other sciences, led to the creation of computers, modern sea, air and space ships. The history of mathematics
gives tens.
- So, each of your theoretical developments has an applied value?
- Certainly. Why did you have to struggle with the proof of Poincaré's hypothesis for so many years? Simply, its essence can be stated as follows: if a three-dimensional surface is somewhat similar to a sphere, then it can be expanded into a sphere. Poincaré's statement is called the "Formula of the Universe" because of its importance in the study of complex physical processes in the theory of the universe and because it gives an answer to the question of the shape of the Universe. This proof will play an important role in the development of nanotechnology.
- So, "vigorous" "life-affirming" reports of the "pioneers" of this industry …
- Absolute nonsense and nonsense. An attempt to build a house on the sand … I learned to calculate the voids, together with my colleagues we learn the mechanisms of filling social and economic “voids”. There are voids everywhere. They can be calculated, and this gives great possibilities … I know how to control the Universe. And tell me - why should I run after a million ?!
By the way, the
world's secret services are interested in Perelman
As a representative of the secret services told us, the intelligence officers do not let Perelman out of sight. Moreover, not only our special services, but also other countries are interested in it. As they explain, Grigory Yakovlevich actually steps ahead of today's world science. He comprehended some superknowledge that helps to understand the universe.
Our Universe appeared during the explosion. Actually from a point. It can be reduced to the point. Perelman knows how to do it. And then new questions and problems arise: what will happen if his knowledge is put into practice? Is Perelman, or rather his knowledge, a threat to humanity? After all, if with the help of his knowledge it is possible to collapse the Universe to a point, and then expand it, then we can perish or be reborn in a different quality ?! And then will we be ?! And do we need to rule the universe at all? After all, we have already mercilessly dirtied our earth ball? They say that Perelman himself understands the scale of what he discovered. He calls himself "the man of the universe." And, as they say, he fears for his safety. After all, his clever head, already valued at a million dollars, is worth much more!
Last year, Perelman wrote by mail to Sylvia Nazar, his co-author of the film Formula of the Universe, that his American teacher Hamilton suggested that he move to live in the States forever … the opportunity to stay in America.
But he came back. Home, into poverty. And it was here that an insight descended on him - he made his brilliant discovery …
Promotional video:
