James Cameron to produce story of reclusive Russian genius

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Published time: August 02, 2012 17:07
Edited time: August 03, 2012 00:41

Celebrated Russian mathematician Grigory Perelman, the man who solved a century-old problem then turned down a $1 million prize, is to be the subject of a Hollywood movie produced by James Cameron.

Throughout his career, Perelman has made several breakthroughs in mathematics, geometry and topology. And though Perelman is known for leading a secluded life and avoiding journalists, he agreed to participate in the project dedicated to his milestone achievements. Avatar and Titanic creator James Cameron is rumored to be producing the movie.

Israeli producer Aleksandr Zabrovsky told KP Daily that it took him three years to convince Perelman to sign on to the project. He then approached Cameron with the idea, who was reportedly enthusiastic about it.

The film is due to be shot in the US, with an as-yet-unnamed professional actor covering the role of Perelman.

Perelman grabbed international attention in 2006 after he solved one of the most important and difficult open problems in topology – the Poincaré conjecture, which was posed by French mathematician Henri Poincaré in 1904.

As a result Perelman was awarded the Fields Medal for "his contributions to geometry and his revolutionary insights into the analytical and geometric structure of the Ricci flow." He shocked the mathematics community by turning down the prize, gaining world fame in the process.

Explaining why he walked from a $1 million prize, Perelman said, "I'm not interested in money or fame, I don't want to be on display like an animal in a zoo."

The Poincaré conjecture is one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems, which bring a $1 million award to anyone who solves one of them. The Poincaré conjecture is the sole one of them to have been solved.