The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth
ISBN: 0786884061
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SatvikBeri
· 2012-09-13
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Original thread
Erdos took amphetamines daily after his mother died in 1971, and claimed to sleep for about 4 hours a day while on amphetamines. He did not recommend them to anyone else, and he objected to the use of amphetamines being included in his biography because he didn't want to cause any kids to start taking drugs.
Erdos was also apparently more prolific after starting amphetamines, perhaps because he started sleeping significantly less.[1]
[1]: The Man Who Loved Only Numbers, Paul Hoffman, http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Loved-Only-Numbers/dp/07868840...
soundsop
· 2010-11-06
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Original thread
The biography of Paul Erdős, The Man Who Loved Only Numbers, is a great read. http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Loved-Only-Numbers/dp/07868636...
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A poignant examination of the mathematician Paul Erdős, and his notion of The Book, "an imaginary book in which God had written down the best and most elegant proofs for mathematical theorems."