"Everybody understood that if the proof is correct, then no other recognition is needed. "
---Perelman
In May 2006, a committee of nine mathematicians voted to award Perelman a Fields Medal for his work on the Poincaré conjecture. However, Perelman declined to accept the prize. Sir John Ball, president of the International Mathematical Union, approached Perelman in Saint Petersburg in June 2006 to persuade him to accept the prize. After 10 hours of attempted persuasion over two days, Ball gave up.
面对国际数学联合会主席的苦劝,佩雷尔曼来这么一句,就是不去接受菲尔茨奖。
真就是这样啊,如果对庞加莱猜想的证明是正确的,还需要什么别的认可?奖赏、荣誉、帽子,佩雷尔曼认为都没必要,证明了就是最好的证明。科学就是求真,也许只有佩雷尔曼这样至真至纯的人,才配才能证明庞加莱猜想。