Social evaluation of John von Neumann

Hans Bethe (Nobel Prize winner in physics): I have sometimes wondered whether abrainlike von Neumann's does not indicate a species superior to that of man. Does it imply the existence of more advanced biological species than humans? )

David Blackwell: He was a really remarkable man. He listened to me talk about this rather obscure subject and in ten minutes he knew more about it than. I did. He was extremely quick. (He is an outstanding person. I gave him a brief introduction to the topic I recently studied. After ten minutes, he already knew more than me. His thinking was really abnormal. )

George Pólya: The only student of mine I was ever intimidated by. He was so quick. There was a seminar for advanced students in Zürich that I was teaching and von Neumann was in the class . I came to a certain theorem, and I said it is not proved and it may be difficult. Von Neumann didn't say anything but after five minutes he raised his hand. When I called on him he went to the blackboard and proceeded to write down the proof.After that I was afraid of von Neumann. (He was the only student who made me feel that my position as a teacher was threatened. He was so sharp. Once I gave a lecture to graduate students in Zurich. At that time Von Neumann was also listening to the lecture. I asked an unsolved question. After 5 minutes, Von Neumann raised his hand. When I called him, he walked straight to the podium and wrote down the proof of this problem. I have been intimidated by von Neumann ever since. )

Eugene Wigner (Nobel Prize winner in Physics): He has a great sense of humor and is very popular with even strangers because of his ability to tell stories and jokes. Be simple and happy when you are young, but never frivolous and stupid. A remarkable brain like von Neumann's needed to understand things that most people like us don't want to understand or even hope to understand. This fact affected von Neumann's moral judgment. Only scientific mistakes and discord would make him feel angry or regretful. When anyone made a scientific mistake, he would not hesitate to correct others. mistake.

Herman Goldstine: One of his extraordinary abilities is his absolutely accurate memory. As far as I know, von Neumann has the ability to recite a book or article word for word after reading it. What's more, he was also able to do it years later without any hesitation. He can also translate it into English and recite it in real time without losing any speed.

One time, in order to test his ability, I asked him how "A Tale of Two Cities" began. After a while, he started to recite the first chapter until I asked him to stop maybe 10 or 15 minutes later. Miklós Rédei: It seems fair to say that if the influence of a scientist is interpreted broadly enough to include impact on fields beyond science proper, then John von Neumann was probably the most influential mathematician who ever lived. He has been working in mathematics, and every time he does a job, he can apply mathematics in his field and have a long-term impact. Von Neumann can be said to be the most influential mathematician in history.)

Glimm: he is regarded as one of the giants of modern mathematics. (He is generally regarded as a giant of modern mathematics.)

Jean Dieudonné: the last of the great mathematician. An outstanding mathematician. )

Peter Lax: The most scientifically minded man of the 20th century.