John von Neumann

Question 1

Where was John von Neumann born?

Answer 1

Budapest, Hungary

Question 2

What year was John von Neumann born?

Answer 2

1903

Question 3

By what age did von Neumann earn his Ph.D. in mathematics?

Answer 3

23

Question 4

In which country did John von Neumann become a naturalized citizen?

Answer 4

United States

Question 5

Which prestigious American institute did von Neumann work with?

Answer 5

The Institute for Advanced Study

Question 6

What field did von Neumann found with his minimax theorem?

Answer 6

Game theory

Question 7

What book did von Neumann co-author in 1944 that laid the foundation for game theory?

Answer 7

Theory of Games and Economic Behavior

Question 8

What is the name of the computer architecture von Neumann developed?

Answer 8

von Neumann architecture

Question 9

Von Neumann’s architecture separated data and ____ into a single memory space.

Answer 9

instructions

Question 10

What major World War II project was von Neumann a part of?

Answer 10

The Manhattan Project

Question 11

Von Neumann contributed to which type of mathematical structure in quantum mechanics?

Answer 11

Operators in Hilbert spaces and von Neumann algebra

Question 12

What theoretical concept did von Neumann pioneer in computing related to automata?

Answer 12

Self-replicating automata

Question 13

Which nuclear bomb’s development was von Neumann involved in?

Answer 13

The atomic bomb

Question 14

What was the major strategic military doctrine von Neumann influenced during the Cold War?

Answer 14

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

Question 15

What type of controversial military action did von Neumann advocate for during the Cold War?

Answer 15

Preemptive nuclear strike on the Soviet Union

Question 16

Von Neumann was diagnosed with which disease?

Answer 16

Bone cancer

Question 17

How old was John von Neumann when he died?

Answer 17

53

Question 18

Von Neumann’s architecture is still used in almost all modern ____.

Answer 18

Computers

Question 19

Which prestigious medal is named after John von Neumann?

Answer 19

The IEEE John von Neumann Medal

Question 20

What year did John von Neumann die?

Answer 20

1957

Question 21

Fill in the blank: John von Neumann is considered one of the greatest ____ of the 20th century.

Answer 21

Polymaths

Question 22

Which two major fields were shaped by von Neumann’s game theory?

Answer 22

Economics and military strategy

Question 23

What was von Neumann’s expertise that contributed to the development of the atomic bomb?

Answer 23

Shock waves and hydrodynamic calculations

Question 24

Which mathematical field did von Neumann significantly contribute to alongside quantum mechanics?

Answer 24

Functional analysis

Question 25

Which famous American physicist did von Neumann work alongside at the Institute for Advanced Study?

Answer 25

Albert Einstein

Question 26

How did John von Neumann’s game theory impact the study of evolution?

Answer 26

It provided models for competitive behavior in evolutionary biology.

Question 27

What quirky behavior did von Neumann have when working on equations?

Answer 27

He would write equations on his windows instead of a chalkboard.

Question 28

As a child prodigy, what could von Neumann do by age 6?

Answer 28

Divide eight-digit numbers in his head and speak ancient Greek

Question 29

Fill in the blank: The ____ architecture is the foundational design for most modern computers.

Answer 29

von Neumann

Question 30

Von Neumann pioneered the concept of self-replicating ____.

Answer 30

Automata

Question 31

Which doctrine shaped Cold War nuclear strategy based on von Neumann’s ideas?

Answer 31

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

Question 32

How did von Neumann contribute to the Manhattan Project?

Answer 32

Through his calculations on the implosion mechanism of the atomic bomb

Question 33

What lesser-known hobby did von Neumann enjoy?

Answer 33

Throwing lavish parties and practical jokes

Question 34

Fill in the blank: John von Neumann was deeply involved in the development of the ____ bomb.

Answer 34

Atomic

Question 35

Which book did von Neumann write that revolutionized economic and military strategy?

Answer 35

Theory of Games and Economic Behavior

Question 36

Which institute for advanced studies is named after von Neumann?

Answer 36

John von Neumann Institute for Computing