Why Did This Reclusive Russian Mathematician Reject Honors for Solving a 100-Year-Old Math Problem?

March 22, 2025, researched and prompted by Soraima

Grigori Perelman, a reclusive Russian mathematician, rejected prestigious honors, including the Fields Medal and a $1 million prize from the Clay Mathematics Institute, for solving the Poincaré Conjecture—a 100-year-old problem in topology—due to a combination of personal principles, disillusionment with the mathematical community, and a rejection of material rewards.

Perelman’s primary stated reason for declining these accolades was his belief that the recognition was unfair. He argued that his contribution to solving the Poincaré Conjecture was no greater than that of Richard Hamilton, an American mathematician whose earlier work on Ricci flow provided a critical foundation for Perelman’s proof.

In an interview with Interfax in 2010, he said, “To put it short, the main reason is my disagreement with the organized mathematical community. I don’t like their decisions; I consider them unjust.” He felt the prize overlooked Hamilton’s significant role and reflected a broader issue of misplaced credit in the field.

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Beyond this, Perelman expressed deep frustration with the ethical standards of mathematics. In a rare statement reported by *The New Yorker* in 2006, he remarked, “I am disappointed with the ethical standards of the field of mathematics,” suggesting that dishonesty and conformism were tolerated among mathematicians.

He was particularly critical of instances where others, such as Fields medalist Shing-Tung Yau, allegedly downplayed his work to elevate their own protégés’ contributions, like those of Cao and Zhu. This perceived lack of integrity fueled his isolation from the community, which he described as viewing nonconformists like himself as outsiders: “It is not people who break ethical standards who are regarded as aliens. It is people like me who are isolated.”

Perelman’s rejection also stemmed from a philosophical stance against fame and wealth. He reportedly told *Komsomolskaya Pravda*, “Emptiness is everywhere, and it can be calculated, which gives us a great opportunity. I know how to control the universe.

So tell me, why should I run for a million?” For him, the intellectual satisfaction of solving the problem outweighed any external reward. His reclusive lifestyle—living simply with his mother in St. Petersburg—further underscored his disinterest in the trappings of recognition.

After posting his proof online in 2002 and 2003, Perelman withdrew from professional mathematics entirely by 2006, resigning from the Steklov Institute and ceasing communication with colleagues.

His actions suggest a man who valued the purity of mathematical discovery over the politics and prestige of its aftermath, choosing solitude over a spotlight he deemed undeserved and tainted.

Learn more about Grigori Perelman