The mathematician who solved a $1 million math problem and famously declined the prize is Grigori Perelman, a Russian mathematician. In 2003, Perelman proved the Poincaré Conjecture, one of the seven $1 million math problem challenges. It was established by the Clay Mathematics Institute in 2000 as part of the Millennium Prize Problems.
The Poincaré Conjecture, posed in 1904, is a foundational question in topology. A branch of mathematics dealing with shapes and spaces. It states that any simply connected, closed three-dimensional space is topologically equivalent to a three-dimensional sphere. Perelman’s proof, built on Richard Hamilton’s theory of Ricci flow, was confirmed by multiple expert teams by 2006.
Despite global acclaim and the $1 million math problem prize awarded in 2010, Perelman refused the money and declined the Fields Medal (math’s highest honor) in 2006. He stated that he was not interested in fame or reward, and felt the mathematical community had not treated his contributions fairly. He then withdrew from professional mathematics and largely disappeared from public life, living quietly in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Why His Story Captures Imagination
Perelman’s rejection of the $1 million math problem award was unprecedented. He believed that mathematical truth should be its own reward and criticized the ethics of academic recognition. His proof remains one of the greatest achievements in modern mathematics yet he chose solitude over celebrity.
To this day, he remains the only person to solve one of the original seven Millennium Problems. The other six $1 million math problem challenges the Riemann Hypothesis and P vs NP remain unsolved.
Perelman’s legacy is not just his breakthrough, but his radical integrity.
He solved a century-old mystery, then walked away leaving the world to ponder the value of knowledge itself.