The story of Paul Erdős, one of the most prolific mathematicians in history, deserves to be told – and it deserves to be funny. With nearly 1,500 published papers, Erdős left an indelible mark on fields ranging from probability to number theory. But his working style was… unconventional, to say the least. He moved between homes, collaborating with mathematicians across the globe in a way that was both brilliant and borderline chaotic.
The Eccentric Genius
Erdős operated on a simple, yet aggressive, exchange: he’d show up unannounced at mathematicians’ doors, declaring his mind “open” for collaboration. In return for lodging, food, and hospitality, his hosts gained the opportunity to work alongside a mathematical powerhouse. This nomadic lifestyle was partly forced by Cold War politics; denied entry to the US due to perceived communist sympathies, he spent decades traveling with just a suitcase.
The full story is captured in The Man Who Loved Only Numbers, a biography by Paul Hoffman that has yet to reach its full potential audience. A film adaptation – starring Jeff Goldblum – could change that. Goldblum’s resemblance to Erdős is uncanny, but more importantly, his brand of quirky eccentricity perfectly embodies the mathematician’s unconventional spirit.
A Unique Worldview
Erdős wasn’t just mathematically brilliant; he had a singular way of looking at life. He openly rejected religion yet spoke of “the Supreme Fascist” (SF) who owned “the Book” – a hypothetical collection of all perfect mathematical proofs. His mission? To steal those proofs from the SF before anyone else.
His language was equally bizarre. Children were “epsilons” (small quantities in math), mathematicians who quit were “dead,” and the act of making theorems was turning “coffee into theorems”. The author jokingly states that his own Erdős number is 3, counting interviews with mathematicians who worked with Erdős.
The Erdős-Bacon Connection
Erdős’s collaborative network spawned a playful game: the “Erdős number.” Mathematicians trace their connections back to him through co-authored papers, with lower numbers indicating closer ties. This mirrors the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” game in Hollywood. Intriguingly, some individuals hold both an Erdős number and a Bacon number, creating a coveted “Erdős-Bacon number”. Jeff Goldblum himself has a Bacon number of 1, opening the door for him to potentially match the record of 3.
Flaws and Stereotypes
Erdős wasn’t perfect. His behavior was often inappropriate, referring to women as “bosses” and men as “slaves”, while marriage was “capture”. He was also unapologetically eccentric, showing up at mathematicians’ homes uninvited. This raises a fair point: does a comedic biopic risk reinforcing the “absent-minded professor” stereotype?
However, previous mathematical biopics (A Beautiful Mind, The Man Who Knew Infinity ) have been serious affairs. A comedy could be refreshing, and Erdős’s legacy includes unsolved problems that deserve more attention – particularly now, as AI tools help amateurs make progress on them.
Erdős would likely approve of a film that spreads his “gospel,” encouraging others to continue his quest against the SF. Jeff Goldblum, if you’re listening, let’s make this happen.
