John Nash, the mathematician whose life was the basis of the movie "A Beautiful Mind" died Saturday in a car crash. Hs wife, Alicia Nash, also died during the mishap. They were 86 and 82, respectively.
"The Nashes were in a taxi when the crash occurred on the New Jersey Turnpike," Mashable reported. "The cab driver lost control while trying to pass another car, and crashed into the guard rail."
"The couple was thrown from the vehicle, suggesting they may not have been wearing seat belts," the news source went on to say.
The couple reportedly just arrived in New Jersey from Norway and was on their way home after Nash had received an award in the latter country.
The crash reportedly happened just a few miles from the couple's home.
"Nash, a West Virginia Native, shared a Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994, the year before he joined the Princeton mathematics department as a senior research mathematician," NJ.com said. "He is known for his work in game theory and his struggle with paranoid schizophrenia, depicted in the 2001 film, 'A Beautiful Mind,' starring Russell Crowe."
Princeton University, through its president Christopher Eisgruber, has since relayed an official statement regarding the death of the Nashes.
"We are stunned and saddened by news of the untimely passing of John Nash and his wife and great champion, Alicia," the statement began. "John's remarkable achievements inspired generations of mathematicians, economists and scientists who were influenced by his brilliant, groundbreaking work in game theory, and the story of his life with Alicia moved millions of readers and moviegoers who marveled at their courage in the face of daunting challenges."
Nash battled with schizophrenia at the height of his career, with his wife even having him committed to psychiatric institutions at various times. Her efforts however created a tension in their relationship that led to divorce, which finally took place in 1962, 5 years after they married.
As Nash advanced in age, the schizophrenia symptoms appeared to recede and the voices in his head had "faded," NJ.com said.
"I had been long enough hospitalized that I would finally renounce my delusional hypotheses and revert to thinking of myself as a human of more conventional circumstances, and return to mathematical research," he said in an autobiography detailing his recovery.
In 2001, the estranged couple finally remarried and later became mental health care advocates. Their son John was also diagnosed as having schizophrenia.
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