Lecture Notes: John Nash and His Journey

Early Life and Education

• John Forbes Nash, Jr.
  • Born in Bluefield, West Virginia
  • Showed early signs of being a prodigy in mathematics.
  • Won a Westinghouse scholarship in high school.
  • Graduated from Carnegie Institute of Technology with a master’s degree.
  • His advisor recommended him as a "genius."

Career and Contributions

• Princeton University

  • Joined a highly elite math department.
  • Known for arrogance, confidence, and eccentricity.
  • Did not attend classes regularly to maintain originality.
  • Created a game known as Nash which gained departmental attention.

• Game Theory

  • Developed the Nash Equilibrium, a solution concept in non-cooperative games.
  • Revolutionary in economics, though initially not recognized.
  • Applied his work to real-life situations such as economics, politics, and business.

Personal Life

• Relationships
  • Had a son with Eleanor Steer but did not support them.
  • Married Alicia Lardé, a student and physics major.
  • Alicia and John Nash had a child together.

Mental Health Struggles

• Schizophrenia Diagnosis

  • Experienced a psychotic break in the late 1950s.
  • Hospitalized multiple times; first diagnosis at McLean Hospital.
  • Underwent insulin coma therapy at Trenton State Hospital.

• Effects and Recovery

  • Described remission as "enforced rationality."
  • Experiencing hallucinations and delusions.
  • 1980s: Began a gradual recovery by rejecting hallucinations and choosing rational thought.

Later Achievements

• Nobel Prize in Economics
  • Awarded in 1994 for his work on game theory.
  • Nash Equilibrium became a foundation in modern economics.
  • Acceptance and recognition after decades of struggle.

Impact and Legacy

• Inspiration for triumph over mental illness.
• Returns to work in mathematics at Princeton.
• Reconnection with family.
• Remarried to Alicia in 2001.

Key Themes

• The intersection of genius and mental illness.
• The impact of eccentricity and originality in scientific achievement.
• The transformative power of support and understanding from a community.
• The enduring influence of Nash's work on economics and beyond.