A Beautiful Mind

Chapter 38

1. Jorgen W. Weibull, Stockholm School of Economics and member economics prize committee, interview, 11.14.96.

2. Ibid.

3. Carl-Olof jacobson, secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academv of Sciences, interview, 2.12.97.

4. Kenneth Birnum, game theorist at the London School of Economics, for example, recently wrote to Harold Kuhn (e-mail, 1.7.98) that he had nominated Nash for the n.o.bel once in the 1980s. "I didn"t persist in nominating him because n.o.body seemed to take the idea seriously."

5. Statutes of the n.o.bel Foundation, 4.27.95.



6. Michael Sohlman, executive director, n.o.bel Foundation, interview, 2.11.97.

7. Ibid.

8. Karl-Goran Maler, executive director, Beijer Inst.i.tute of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, interview, 2.12.97.

9. a.s.sar Lindbeck, "The Prize in Economic Science in Memory of Alfred n.o.bel," Journal of Economic Literature, Journal of Economic Literature, vol. 23 (March 1985), pp. 3756. vol. 23 (March 1985), pp. 3756.

10. Harriet Zuckerman, Scientific Elite: n.o.bel Laureates in the United States Scientific Elite: n.o.bel Laureates in the United States (London: Free Press, 1977). (London: Free Press, 1977).

11. Lindbeck, op. cit.

12. See, for example, John E. Morrill, "A n.o.bel Prize in Mathematics," The American Mathematical Monthly, The American Mathematical Monthly, vol. 102, no. 10 (December 1995). vol. 102, no. 10 (December 1995).

13. Lars Grding and Lars Hormander, "Why Is There No n.o.bel Prize in Mathematics?" The Mathematical Intelligencer The Mathematical Intelligencer (July 1985), pp. 7374. (July 1985), pp. 7374.

14. Jacobson, interview.

15. The sketch of Lindbeck is based on the author"s interview with him in Stockholm on 2.12.97, two autobiographical essays, and the impressions of members of the prize committee and the Academv of Sciences, including Carl-Olof Jacobson, 2.12.97; Karl-Gustaf Lofgren, professor of economics, University of Umea, 2.12.97; Karl-Goran Maler, 2.12.97; Jorgen Weibull and Torsten Persson, visiting professor, Harvard University, 10.4.94 and 3.7.97.

16. Persson, interview, 3.7.97.

17. Lofgren, interview.

18. Maler, interview.

19. Lindbeck, "The Prize in Economic Science," op. cit.

20. Lofgren, interview.

21. Kerstin Fredga, as told to Harold Kuhn at the 12.94 n.o.bel ceremony in Stockholm, 1.95.

22. By the late 1980s, Harold Kuhn and other game theorists were nominating Nash. Others, however, saw no point in doing so. "I did not nominate him," Shubik later recalled. "He was better than several of the people I nominated, but it seemed that they"d throw him out because he"s nuts. The other reason was that I thought the bargaining work was better than the stuff on noncooperative equilibrium," interview, 12.13.96.

23. Lindbeck, interview, 2.12.97.

24. Ariel Rubinstein, interview, 6.26.95.

25. Ariel Rubinstein, "Perfect Equilibrium in a Bargaining Model," Econometrica, Econometrica, no. 50 (1982), pp. 97109. no. 50 (1982), pp. 97109.

26. Rubinstein, interview, 6.95.

27. Weibull, interview, 1.14.96.

28. Ibid.

29. Ibid.

30. E-mail from Eric Fisher, a.s.sistant professor of economics, Ohio State University, to author, 7.25.95.

31. Weibull, interview, 11.6.96.

32. Gene Grossman, professor of economics, Princeton University, interview, 9.93. Grossman was the first to point out to the author, a reporter at The New York Times, The New York Times, that Nash might share a n.o.bel. that Nash might share a n.o.bel.

33. n.o.bel Symposium on Game Theory: Rationality and Equilibrium in Strategic Interaction, Bjork-born, Sweden, June 1820, 1993.

34. Confidential source who attended the conference.

35. Persson, interview.

36. Confidential source who attended the conference.

37. Fax from Jorgen Weibull to Harold Kuhn, 7.14.93.

38. Letter from Robert J. Leonard to Harold Kuhn, 7.27.93.

39. Jacobson, interview.

40. Lindbeck, interview.

41. Ibid.

42. Confidential source.

43. Jacobson, interview.

44. Lofgren, interview.

45. Lindbeck, interview.

46. Ibid.

47. Ibid.

48. Shapley"s most important work is in cooperative game theory while Sch.e.l.ling"s work is in applications of game theory.

49. Lindbeck, interview.

50. Ibid.

51. The sketch of Stahl is based on interviews with his brother Ingolf Stahl, 2.12.97; Maler; Lindbeck; Lofgren; Weibull; David Warsh, columnist, Boston Globe, Boston Globe, 2.5.97; and others. 2.5.97; and others.

52. Ingemar Stahl, professor of law, Lund University, interview, 2.4.97.

53. Letter from Lars Hormander to Ingemar Stahl, 9.10.93, with Nash bibliography.

54. Ibid.

55. Ingemar Stahl, interview.

56. Ibid.

57. Ibid.

58. Confidential source present at the discussion.

59. Ibid.

60. Ingemar Stahl, interview.

61. Confidential source.

62. Ibid.

63. Interviews with Lindbeck and Jacobson.

64. Weibull, interview.

65. Confidential source.

66. David Warsh, "Came Theory Plays Strategic Role in Economies" Most Interesting Problems," Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 7.24.94. 7.24.94.

67. Christer Kiselman, professor of mathematics, University of Uppsala, interview, 3.5.97.

68. Ibid.

69. Confidential source.

70. Weibull, interview, 11.6.96.

71. Lindbeck, interview.

72. Ibid.

73. Ibid.

74. Jacobson, interview.

75. Confidential source.

76. Lindbeck, interview.

77. Ibid.; also confidential source.

78. As quoted by Harold Kuhn, interview, 1.95.

79. E-mail from Harold Kuhn to Harold Shapiro, president, Princeton University, 9.1.94.

80. Confidential source.

81. Erik Dahmen, professor of economics, Stockholm Inst.i.tute of Economics, and member, Roval Swedish Academy of Sciences, interview, 2.12.97.

82. Confidential source.

83. Anders Karlquist, interview, 3.17.97.

84. Lars Crding, professor of mathematics, Lund University, personal communication, 2.10.97.

85. Bengt Nagel, personal communication, 2.10.97.

86. Confidential source.

87. Kjell Olof Feldt, "I Nationalekonomns Atervandsgrand," Moderna Ticlcr Moderna Ticlcr (March 1994). (March 1994).

88. Karlquist, interview.

89. Confidential source.

90. Lindbeck, interview.

91. Confidential source.

92. Ibid.

93. Statutes of the n.o.bel Foundation.

94. Confidential source.

95. Ibid.

96. Jacobson, interview.

97. Confidential source.

98. Jacobson, interview.

99. Ingemar Stahl, interview.

100. Sohlman, interview.