Grigory Perelman - Poincare Conjecture

An article in the August 28th issue of the New Yorker discusses the reclusive Grigory Perelman, a Russian, whose mathematical solution of the Poincare conjecture has elevated his name in the public's awareness not unlike J.D. Salinger, the author of "Catcher in the Rye" in literature. Refusing awards, removing himself from the world that extracts pleasure from celebrities, even in mathematics, strikes me as a wise move. But the move seems to have had the opposite effect and Mr. Perelman has more attention than less. Agreeing to interviews by New Yorker writers Sylvia Nasar and David Gruber can only enhance the mystic of this rare flower of the academic world. With each passing day of his reclusiveness his interest value increases. Was it a mistake to retreat and refuse prizes and cash? One million dollars and the Fields Medal in mathematics may be given to him without his acknowledgement of it. He refuses. He lives in St.Petersburg, Russia with his mother, uses the interent to communicate with his peers, and goes to the opera frequently. As I was reading this lengthy article about Perelman that dealt mostly with a quarrel about Perelman's solution to the Poincare conjecture and a former Fields Medal winner in China , I was
rooting for Perelman and his choice. His ability to solve a problem in mathematics and his recognition for it are separate matters. If he choses to remove himself from the public recognition of it, fine. We now see Albert Einstein's face in ads on televison and magazines. The marketplace is just waiting to snap up fame and use it commercially. Mr. Perelman has long bushy hair and a long beard. Even academia capitalizes on fame in gross and subtle ways not necessary to mention here. I suppose he could have submitted the solution over the internet in emails anonymously. We may have to allow that he is human and very smart.