 Matt Damon (qv), a former Harvard student, originally intended to  make the title character a physics prodigy. He discussed his idea  with Sheldon L. Glashow (qv), a Nobel laureate in physics and at  the time a Harvard professor. Glashow told him that the premise did  not ring true to him and suggested that the main character be a math  prodigy instead. He referred Damon to his brother