Perfect Rigor

A gripping and tragic tale that sheds rare light on the unique burden of genius

In 2006, an eccentric Russian mathematician named Grigori Perelman solved the Poincare Conjecture, an extremely complex topological problem that had eluded the best minds for over a century. A prize of one million dollars was offered to anyone who could unravel it, but Perelman declined the winnings, and in doing so inspired journalist Masha Gessen to tell his story. Drawing on interviews with Perelman’s teachers, classmates, coaches, teammates, and colleagues in Russia and the United States—and informed by her own background as a math whiz raised in Russia—Gessen uncovered a mind of unrivaled computational power, one that enabled Perelman to pursue mathematical concepts to their logical (sometimes distant) end. But she also discovered that this very strength turned out to be Perelmans undoing and the reason for his withdrawal, first from the world of mathematics and then, increasingly, from the world in general.

Biography of a Genius: Follow the story of Grigori Perelman, from the specialized math schools of the Soviet Union to his groundbreaking proof and eventual, heartbreaking seclusion. The Poincaré Conjecture: Discover the history behind one of mathematics greatest puzzles, the million-dollar Millennium Prize offered for its solution, and the controversy that followed. History of Mathematics: Delve into the fascinating and often brutal world of Russian mathematics, where intellectual purity battled against the pressures of the Soviet state. Narrative Nonfiction: Based on exhaustive interviews, Masha Gessens investigation pieces together the puzzle of a man whose mind could solve the universe but who chose to disappear from it.