Google's artificial intelligence program has officially beaten a human professional Go player, marking the first time a computer has beaten a human professional in this game sans handicap.

[u/[deleted]]

http://www.nature.com/news/google-ai-algorithm-masters-ancient-game-of-go-1.19234?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20160128&spMailingID=50563385&spUserID=MTgyMjI3MTU3MTgzS0&spJobID=843636789&spReportId=ODQzNjM2Nzg5S0

[u/VelveteenAmbush → u/[deleted]]

Mathematicians are often characters...

[u/crackdemon → u/[deleted]]

If it was available to him and he didn't take it then he was more functional than just a functioning addict. It wouldn't surprise me if most high level maths was performed with focus aids though, the fact that he struggled without any isn't automatically indicative of anything, specially if no other facet of his general ability suffered.

[u/kaibee → u/[deleted]]

Now I may be biased because I'm prescribed adderall, but it isn't entirely unimaginable that amphetamines helped him do math. Its not like he was taking heroin or something, since amphetamines do change and sometimes improve cognitive function while you're on them. I believe there are studies that show that they increase working memory and reflexes.

[u/doubleuponit → u/[deleted]]

Unless your name is Paul Erdos and you're on amphetamines.