4 ms·

This was in 1955! There are comments here trying to contrast Nash's work to modern cryptography, as though that's somehow fair. Nash never had access to anythi

This was in 1955! There are comments here trying to contrast Nash's work to modern cryptography, as though that's somehow fair. Nash never had access to anything remotely like a personal computer and this is just after the age - and in fact still one - where physical and mechanical devices were being used to perform encryption. The better thing to do would be to compare (rather than contrast) his work. Look at this letter. Nash essentially predicts trapdoor functions and the P/NP gap... in a mere letter. We were lucky to have Nash and his contributions. It's unfortunate that most of his academic work is largely unknown and that pop science focuses disproportionately on his work on equilibrium in symmetric games. May he rest in peace.

kristopolous 11y ago
In Economic Theory, the words "Nash Equilibrium" is said at least once an hour in every lecture hall. It's a pretty obvious focus (see here: http://math.uchicago.edu/~shmuel/AAT-readings/Econ%20segment/On%20Nash%20Eq.pdf http://math.uchicago.edu/~shmuel/AAT-readings/Econ%20segment...). He's an Alan Turing in the field. Also see here (http://econtheory.org/ http://econtheory.org/) for some good sunday afternoon reading.
- xnull2guest 11y ago
  Of course. There is no ill will toward or deemphasis of Nash Equilibria. :) Merely, it's a shame that MORE of Nash's contributions haven't been as popularly traded. This popular science emphasis at the opportunity cost of others leads to the impression that this is all Nash has contributed. That's all I was getting at. :)
  - kristopolous 11y ago
    Alright. But honestly, if I got my namesake on some kind of fundamental theory, I'd be pretty ok with everything else being forgotten. I can imagine the awkwardness of grad students presenting their work in a room where he was present ... "and so-and-so forms a nash equilibrium ... (silence, looking for approval from Johns face, sigh of relief from grad student when professor does not shake head in dismay)"

kristopolous 11y ago

In Economic Theory, the words "Nash Equilibrium" is said at least once an hour in every lecture hall. It's a pretty obvious focus (see here: http://math.uchicago.edu/~shmuel/AAT-readings/Econ%20segment/On%20Nash%20Eq.pdf http://math.uchicago.edu/~shmuel/AAT-readings/Econ%20segment...). He's an Alan Turing in the field. Also see here (http://econtheory.org/ http://econtheory.org/) for some good sunday afternoon reading.

xnull2guest 11y ago
Of course. There is no ill will toward or deemphasis of Nash Equilibria. :) Merely, it's a shame that MORE of Nash's contributions haven't been as popularly traded. This popular science emphasis at the opportunity cost of others leads to the impression that this is all Nash has contributed. That's all I was getting at. :)
- kristopolous 11y ago
  Alright. But honestly, if I got my namesake on some kind of fundamental theory, I'd be pretty ok with everything else being forgotten. I can imagine the awkwardness of grad students presenting their work in a room where he was present ... "and so-and-so forms a nash equilibrium ... (silence, looking for approval from Johns face, sigh of relief from grad student when professor does not shake head in dismay)"