Farewell to John Nash
On May 23rd John Nash sadly died in a car crash, along with his wife Alicia. To the wider world Nash was famous as the main character of the book and film A beautiful mind, and to mathematicians for his important work in game theory, geometry and the theory of differential equations. Nash won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994 and was awarded the prestigious Abel Prize only this year. Here are three Plus articles that shed light on some of his work.
The Abel Prize 2015: All wrapped up — This article explores Nash's work in geometry and differential equations, which won him a share of the Abel Prize 2015.
If we all go for the blonde — A gentle introduction to some game theory, based on a scene from the film A beautiful mind.
Game theory and the Cuban missile crisis — A fascinating application of game theory, including the concept of a Nash equilibrium, to a dangerous political stand-off.
To find out more about the life and work of John Nash read his biography on the MacTutor History of Mathematics archive.