John Nash, a graduate student, were accepted to continue his studies in Mathematics in Princeton University, himself a co-recipient for Carnegie Scholarship along with Martin Hansen. During his studies, he met fellow-minded colleagues, Sol, Ainsley, and Bender. His roommate was Charles Herman, who studied literature there.

Desperate to prove himself and securing an appointment with the famous Wheeler Laboratory while making a breakthrough, John Nash is determined to “find his own idea”. While hanging out with his friends at a bar, he was inspired when he saw his friends arguing about on how-to pick-up a group of girls they saw in the bar. When Hansen quotes Adam Smith about the theory of “every man for himself” would work better in their case, Nash instead theorized that if they co-operate, then every person in the table will have a chance to get a girl.

He then decided to publish his theory and it was named Nash equilibrium. Fast forward to 5 years later, he is now Dr. John Nash, a lecturer at MIT, along with Sol and Ainsley, which tags along with him. A well-known academician in his field, he was asked by Pentagon to decipher secret codes from the Soviet Union, which at the time is having a rocky relationship with the US.

While teaching at MIT, he met a student, Alicia, and they fell in love with each other. What other adversary awaits our main character? Watch the film to find out!