Nwadamor t1_ixmuc9d wrote
Reply to comment by simplicissimusrex in I'm Ananyo Bhattacharya, author of 'The Man from the Future', about Hungarian-American mathematical genius John von Neumann. AMA! by simplicissimusrex
I heard Gauss could add and multiply 20 digits in his head, could solve equations in his head no different from writing on the board, whereas neumann at best could multiply/add 8 to 10 digits. Although just working memory(can't gauge the rest abilities as they are a bit abstract), that's a pretty huge difference tho?
simplicissimusrex OP t1_ixn0iv6 wrote
It is. I didn’t know that I must admit. So perhaps Gauss could outdo von Neumann in feats of mental gymnastics… one thing I meant to say, comparing the two -it’s von Neumann’s impact on our modern lives I find so amazing. By formalising utility theory -giving us a way to compare and measure human happiness-that’s shaped the way we think about ourself today for better or worse. Neoliberalism sprung directly from that idea. And I think there’s a tendency to view ourselves as these happiness optimising machines. Or maybe that’s just me…
simplicissimusrex OP t1_ixn20uc wrote
And of course there’s a lot more to higher maths than doing big sums in your head! But still-impressive.
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