The Essential John Nash

More about the book

When John Nash won the Nobel Prize in economics in 1994, many were surprised to discover he was alive and thriving. Sylvia Nasar's celebrated biography has since illuminated his life, while this collection presents Nash's work in his own words. For the first time, readers can explore the full range of Nash's contributions, not only to game theory but also to pure mathematics, including Riemannian geometry and partial differential equations, where he is highly esteemed among academics. The book features nine of Nash's most influential papers, primarily from the decade starting in 1949. Despite his groundbreaking concepts, such as Nash equilibrium and Nash bargaining, he faced the challenges of paranoid schizophrenia for three decades. The introduction recounts Nash's journey from a Princeton prodigy to grappling with mental illness. Harold Kuhn offers personal insights and scholarly context in his preface and introductions to Nash's papers. An afterword includes Nash's reflections on his current work and a discussion of an error in one of his papers. A photo essay chronicles Nash's career, alongside his Nobel citation and autobiography. This collection reveals the brilliance behind Nash's ideas, providing a unique opportunity to connect with the exceptional mind that inspired many.