Paranoia that killed the great mathematician (8 photos)

Genius and madness often walk hand in hand. But if in some great people the second characteristic manifests itself only as amusing eccentricity, then in others it can lead to the grave.





Austrian Kurt Gödel (1906 - 1978) was a mathematician, logician and philosopher of mathematics, who became famous, among other things, for his incompleteness theorems. Kurt was considered one of the most progressive people of the last century, but towards the end of his life his progressive paranoia led to sad results.



Kurt Gödel in his youth

Mr. Why – that’s what the relatives called the inquisitive boy who tirelessly pestered adults with questions. But, unlike most children who lose interest in a given task even before answering, he showed sincere interest in knowledge.

The boy did well at school, and after graduating from the University of Vienna he quickly received his doctorate: Kurt was only 23 years old.

Dear Adele





With my wife

While still a student, Gödel met Adele Numburski and fell in love with her. But, unfortunately, the young man’s family did not like the chosen one. Especially his mother, with whom Kurt was very close. The woman believed that a frivolous dancer, 6 years older, and even a divorcee, was not suitable for her boy. The couple got married only after 10 years of relationship. And the faithful wife was with the genius throughout his life.

Scientific works and achievements



The result of the mathematician's research was theorems on incompleteness. A 1931 publication containing the claim that certain statements about numbers that, although true, could never be proven, rocked the scientific world.

Gödel later became one of the authors of the theory of recursive functions, which would become the basis of computers. Just at this time of brilliant achievements, the mathematician’s condition worsened, and he was treated in a psychiatric hospital for quite a long time.

Two geniuses



Gödel and Einstein

After the Nazis captured Austria, the couple fled to Princeton, where they lived for the rest of their lives. And where Kurt met another brilliant theorist and immigrant, Albert Einstein. Similarity of views, language, eccentricity, work and favorite science united these unusual people.

Einstein even accompanied a friend to his citizenship hearing, which Kurt almost ruined by arguing with the judge about the imperfections of the American Constitution.



Gödel and Einstein

But if Albert was a rather open, sociable and cheerful person, then Kurt was his complete opposite. Closedness, gloom and pessimism only intensified over the years. Gödel believed in ghosts, was terrified of discredit from visiting colleagues, and believed that those around him wanted to poison him. Which left an imprint on the diet, the lion's share of which was laxatives.

Sad but logical end



When Einstein died, Gödel became even more isolated in himself and his world. He avoided people by all means and refused to go to the presentation of the medal of science. He went outside only covering his face with a ski mask. I only ate what my wife prepared and tried first.

In 1977, Adele was hospitalized. And Gödel completely gave up food. And he literally turned into a skeleton. After forced hospitalization at Princeton Hospital, the scientist lived for two more weeks and died of exhaustion at the age of 71.



Grave of the Gödel couple

According to surviving evidence, at the end the mathematician suffered from hallucinations, claiming that forces had come into the world that literally absorbed good. Although, who knows, maybe the visions were not so unreal.