ECONOMICS 101:John Forbes Nash Jr.

 John Forbes Nash Jr. was an American mathematician known for his contributions to game theory and differential geometry. Here's a simplified explanation:

Imagine you have a friend who's really good at solving puzzles and figuring out the best strategy to win a game. That's like John Nash! He was interested in understanding how people make decisions and interact with each other in competitive situations.

Nash is best known for his work in game theory, which is the study of strategic decision-making. He developed the concept of the Nash equilibrium, which is a set of strategies where no player has an incentive to change their strategy, given the strategies chosen by the other players. In other words, it's like finding the best way to play a game where everyone is playing their best move.

One of Nash's most famous contributions is his proof of the existence of Nash equilibria in non-cooperative games, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994. His work has had a profound impact on various fields, including economics, political science, and evolutionary biology.

Nash's life was also the subject of the Academy Award-winning film "A Beautiful Mind," which portrayed his struggles with mental illness and his journey towards recovery. Despite facing personal challenges, Nash's work continues to inspire and influence scholars and researchers around the world.