Earlier this year I read the book "Linked: The New Science of Networks" which prominently featured the mathematician Paul Erdős. The book mentioned a documentary about Erdős entitled "N is a Number" that I was curious to see. Thanks to Netflix, I finally got the chance last weekend.
Most importantly, this movie is about Erdős "the person" and not his mathematics. While the film discusses his mathematical activities and accomplishments, it makes no material attempt to explain them.
With that focus in mind, I thought this was a nice documentary. The footage of Erdős was very entertaining and I suspect conveyed an accurate sense of his personality. I found the interviews of his various acquaintances equally entertaining - especially the elderly English women who recalled Erdős as a young man. Such focus on Erdős' human qualities really helped cast him as an "exceptional person" instead of an "un-relatable genius".
As is often the case with people of substance, Erdős suffered hardship and had a number of significant life experiences - especially during WWII. Perhaps this explains his generosity and thoughtfulness of others that was recounted a number of times in the documentary.
I was most surprised to learn of Erdős' nomadic lifestyle - for most of his life he had no permanent home or job. Instead, he followed his interests around the world attending conferences and staying with (very) supportive friends. If an acquaintance on a different continent came up with an interesting problem, Erdős would hop on a plane with all of his worldly possessions in two small suitcases and often only a small amount of money in his pockets. I found his nomadic and minimalistic lifestyle both impressive and foreign as I can't imagine being without a "home" to return to. I wonder if this is an insight into the personal sacrifice needed to achieve greatness beyond having raw-talent alone.
Clearly Erdős was a genius which I already understood from reading other references before watching this film. The depth and breadth of his work was unique and will likely be unmatched for a long time to come. But, putting his mathematical achievements aside, Erdős still seemed like an impressive, inspirational, and great man - definitely a role model worth reflecting on.
