Sergey Mergelyan
Encyclopedia
Sergey Nikitovich Mergelyan ' onMouseout='HidePop("12731")' href="/topics/Simferopol">Simferopol
, Crimea
, Soviet Union
; died 20 August 2008 in Los Angeles
, USA; buried at the Novodevichie Memorial Cemetery
in Moscow
, Russia
) was an soviet scientist of Armenia
n origin, an outstanding mathematician, who is the author of major contributions in Approximation Theory
. The modern Complex Approximation Theory is based on Mergelyan's classical work.
in 1947. When he was just 20, in Moscow Steklov Mathematical Institute he was awarded the USSR Doctor of Science degree in mathematics in addition to his Ph.D. Up today this is an absolute record of getting the highest scientific degree (Doctor of Science) at such young age in former USSR and present Russia. In 1952 he was awarded USSR State Prize
. When he was just 24 he became corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (now Russian Academy of Sciences
), which, from the point of view of young age, is yet another absolute record among USSR scientists. He has been a symbol of a young scientist in former USSR. Indira Gandhi
, among other famous people in USSR and abroad, has been a friend of Mergelyan from early 1950s. In 1978, after her official visit to Moscow, Gandhi had also a private visit to Yerevan just as a guest of Mergelyan.
Mergelyan played a leading role in establishing Yerevan Scientific Research Institute of Mathematical Machines (YerSRIMM) in 1956. He became the first director of the institute which many called "Mergelyan Institute".
His works include theory of functions of complex variables, theory of approximation, and theory of potential and harmonic functions. In 1951 he formulated and proved the famous result from complex analysis
called Mergelyan's theorem. This theorem of Mergelyan solved an old classical problem. Several years later he has solved another famous problem, the Sergei Natanovich Bernstein
Approximation Problem. Mergelyan also has many important results in other areas of complex analysis including the theory of pointwise approximations by polynomials.
Simferopol
-Russian Empire and Civil War:The city was renamed Simferopol in 1784 after the annexation of the Crimean Khanate to the Russian Empire by Catherine II of Russia. The name Simferopol is derived from the Greek, Συμφερόπολις , translated as "the city of usefulness." In 1802, Simferopol became the...
, Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
; died 20 August 2008 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, USA; buried at the Novodevichie Memorial Cemetery
Novodevichy Cemetery
Novodevichy Cemetery is the most famous cemetery in Moscow, Russia. It is next to the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, which is the city's third most popular tourist site. It should not be confused with the Novodevichy Cemetery in Saint Petersburg....
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) was an soviet scientist of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n origin, an outstanding mathematician, who is the author of major contributions in Approximation Theory
Approximation theory
In mathematics, approximation theory is concerned with how functions can best be approximated with simpler functions, and with quantitatively characterizing the errors introduced thereby...
. The modern Complex Approximation Theory is based on Mergelyan's classical work.
Biography
He graduated from Yerevan State UniversityYerevan State University
Yerevan State University is a university in Yerevan, Armenia. Founded on May 16 1919, it is the largest university in the country with 110 departments. Of its 3,150 employees, 1,190 comprise the teaching staff which includes 25 academicians, 130 professors, 700 docents , and 360 assistant lecturers...
in 1947. When he was just 20, in Moscow Steklov Mathematical Institute he was awarded the USSR Doctor of Science degree in mathematics in addition to his Ph.D. Up today this is an absolute record of getting the highest scientific degree (Doctor of Science) at such young age in former USSR and present Russia. In 1952 he was awarded USSR State Prize
USSR State Prize
The USSR State Prize was the Soviet Union's state honour. It was established on September 9, 1966. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the prize was followed up by the State Prize of the Russian Federation....
. When he was just 24 he became corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (now Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
), which, from the point of view of young age, is yet another absolute record among USSR scientists. He has been a symbol of a young scientist in former USSR. Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
, among other famous people in USSR and abroad, has been a friend of Mergelyan from early 1950s. In 1978, after her official visit to Moscow, Gandhi had also a private visit to Yerevan just as a guest of Mergelyan.
Mergelyan played a leading role in establishing Yerevan Scientific Research Institute of Mathematical Machines (YerSRIMM) in 1956. He became the first director of the institute which many called "Mergelyan Institute".
His works include theory of functions of complex variables, theory of approximation, and theory of potential and harmonic functions. In 1951 he formulated and proved the famous result from complex analysis
Complex analysis
Complex analysis, traditionally known as the theory of functions of a complex variable, is the branch of mathematical analysis that investigates functions of complex numbers. It is useful in many branches of mathematics, including number theory and applied mathematics; as well as in physics,...
called Mergelyan's theorem. This theorem of Mergelyan solved an old classical problem. Several years later he has solved another famous problem, the Sergei Natanovich Bernstein
Sergei Natanovich Bernstein
Sergei Natanovich Bernstein was a Russian and Soviet mathematician known for contributions to partial differential equations, differential geometry, probability theory, and approximation theory.-Partial differential equations:...
Approximation Problem. Mergelyan also has many important results in other areas of complex analysis including the theory of pointwise approximations by polynomials.
External links
- National Academy of Sciences of Armenia
- Mergelyan's theoremMergelyan's theoremMergelyan's theorem is a famous result from complex analysis, a branch of mathematics, named after the Armenian mathematician Sergei Nikitovich Mergelyan and was put forward by him in 1951. It states the following:...
- Russian Academy of Sciences
- A Guide to the Russian Academy of Sciences, Part I, by Jack L. Cross
- Prominent Armenian Scientist Dies in Los Angeles