History of Computer Science in Russia: the Scientists and Their Schools.
Edited by V. Zakharov, R. Podlovchenko, and Ya. Fet. – Moscow: Nauka Publ. – 2003. – 486 pp. + 24 pp. of photos (57 photos). – (In Russian).This book is, to some extent, a continuation of the collection “Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia” published in 1998 in Novosibirsk. The scientific schools of A.I. Berg, I.S. Bruk, L.V. Kantorovich, S.A. Lebedev, A.A. Lyapunov, A.A. Markov and other famous scientists took the decisive part in the origin and development of Russian computer science.
The present book is devoted to these people and their followers. The reader will find here numerous biographical essays, reminiscences, archive materials, etc. Most of the papers are published for the first time.
The book is addressed to general reader interested in the history of science and the lives of outstanding people.
Preface
The history of cybernetics and informatics presents one of the most dramatic and, at the same time, glorious pages of history of science in our country.
To-day, this comparatively young science is of special importance. Informatics, as well as its numerous applications, shows an unusual rate of development and an extremely strong impact on the society. The new information technologies are supposed to provide full employment, efficient economic activities, and high living standards. On the other side, in these new fantastic means great dangers are concealed like in some other achievements of human mind (such as atomic energy, genetics, and s. o.)
In these conditions, one can realize the significance of exploring the history of formation and development of informatics (as well as the history of science in general). This knowledge is expected to help in discovering better directions in further investigations preventing undesirable consequences. The progress in science is impossible without studying its history. The historic and biographical literature has a strong educational and ethical impact. Publishing of such literature become presently especially important because history of science is being introduced to the university curriculum. We expect that the present collection can serve these purposes. This book is a sequel of the series of our publications on history of Russian Computer Science. In 1998 the “Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia”1 were published. Keeping on our research in this field we have prepared and published several other books: “Aleksey Andreevich Lyapunov”2, “Kolmogorov and Cybernetics”3, “Leonid Vital'evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1”4.
In the present book we tried to concentrate on the origin and evolution of scientific schools. Evidently, the decisive part in the development of any science belongs to people, to distinguished scientists who suggest new ideas, struggle for the recognition of these ideas, create scientific schools, and teach their young followers.
As a rule, they are noble people combining brilliant creative talents with highest morals and civic courage. The renowned academician and admiral Axel Ivanovich Berg, the first Chairman of the
1
Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia / Edited by D. Pospelov and Ya. Fet. – Novosibirsk: Scientific Publ. Center of RAS, 1998, 664 pp. (In Russian).
2
Aleksey Andreevich Lyapunov / Edited by N. Lyapunova and Ya. Fet. – Novosibirsk: Scientific Publ. Center of RAS, 2001, 524 pp. (In Russian).
3
Kolmogorov and Cybernetics / Edited by D. Pospelov and Ya. Fet. – Novosibirsk: Scientific Publ. Center of RAS, 2001, 159 pp. (In Russian).
4
Leonid Vital'evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1/ Edited by V. Kantorovich,
Scientific council on cybernetics, wrote: “Admiring outstanding personalities is a source of a natural wish to follow their example”.
In the history of Russian informatics, in its beginning and its achievements the decisive part belonged the schools of A. I. Berg, I. S. Bruk, L. V. Kantorovich, S. A. Lebedev, A. A. Lyapunov, A. A. Markov and other outstanding scientists.
Working on this book we tried to describe each of its heroes as completely as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes the sources of data on their life and activities are too scanty. This concerns even some of the most renowned scientists.
On the other hand, this book does not contain any fictions. The materials and reminiscences published here present authentic documents of the epoch. Some of them have been published before in rare, inaccessible to-day editions. The other were discovered in the archives of the participants of events, or written according to the witnesses of these events, the relatives, the colleagues, the pupils of our principal heroes.
During the work on this book, we had many voluntary and attentive helpers. We express our gratitude to all of them. We consider as well as our pleasant duty to express our thanks to the editor-in-chief of this book, academician A. S. Alekseev, and to the Chairman of the Editorial board academician I. M. Makarov. Without their participation and collaboration the book could not be published.
We hope that this book will be useful not only to specialists and students but also to general readers interested in the history of science.
V. N. Zakharov, R. I. Podlovchenko, and Ya. I Fet, Editors
Contents
Preface (Russian) 3
Preface (English) 5
I. AT THE FOUNDATIONS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
Axel Ivanovich BERG 9
A. I. Berg. The major problems of cybernetics (April 10, 1959) 9
D. A. Pospelov. Axel Ivanovich Berg 15
E. V. Markova. The pilot of Soviet radio-electronics and cybernetics 20
L. P. Kraizmer. A Man with a capital letter 29
V. V. Nalimov. Axel Ivanovich as a dissident of science 33
Isaak Semenovich BRUK 38
Isaak Semenovich Bruk 38
Leonid Vital'evich KANTOROVICH 46
V. L. Kantorovich. Leonid Vital'evich Kantorovich 46
The traits of the portrait 51
A. M. Vershik. Address to the Session of Leningrad mathematical society dedicated to the memory of L. V. Kantorovich 52
Sergey Alekseevich LEBEDEV 64
Sergey Alekseevich Lebedev 64
S. A. Lebedev. The electronic computing machine 70
Report of the TASS agency 73
L. N. Korolev. From the reminiscences... 74
Aleksey Andreevich LYAPUNOV 77
Aleksey Andreevich Lyapunov 77
A. A. Lyapunov. On the role of mathematics in modern
human culture 88
S. P. Kapitza. Reminiscences on cybernetics and its creators 103
Andrey Andreevich MARKOV 110
B. A. Kushner. Markov and Bishop 110
II. CYBERNETICS, NUMERICAL MATHEMATICS, PROGRAMMING
MOSCOW 129
Michail Aleksandrovich GAVRILOV 129
O. P. Kuznetsov. Michail Aleksandrovich Gavrilov 129
D. A. Pospelov. MAG's School 144
V. M. Ostianu. Reminiscences on Professor M. A. Gavrilov 163
Yuriy Ivanovich ZHURAVLEV 167
Yuriy Ivanovich Zhuravlev 167
Yu. I. Zhuravlev. On my teacher 171
Nikolay Andreevich KRINITSKIY 182
R. I. Podlovchenko. Nikolay Andreevich Krinitskiy 182
N.A. Krinitskiy. The main stages of development of computer
technology and programming methods 183
Vassiliy Vassil'evich NALIMOV 193
Zh. A. Drogalina. Vassiliy Vassil'evich Nalimov: a man, a scientist,
a philosopher 193
E. V. Markova. V. V. Nalimov's scientific schools and invisible colleges
(chemical cybernetics, mathematical theory of experiments) 211
Yu. V. Granovskiy. V. V. Nalimov's scientometric school 229
Sergey Vsevolodovich YABLONSKIY 241
V. B. Alekseev. Sergey Vsevolodovich Yablonskiy 241
E. V. Yablonskiy. Some episodes from Sergey Vsevolodovich
LENINGRAD 262
O. K. Daugavet. Programmers' seminar in Leningrad 262
S. S. Lavrov. Scientific autobiography 264
S. S. Lavrov. The Leningrad school of programming 274
G. S. Tseytin. On professionalism in programming 278
NOVOSIBIRSK 289
Andrey Petrovich ERSHOV 289
A. G. Marchuk. Introduction 289
A. P. Ershov. Aesthetics and the human factor in programming 291
A. P. Ershov. Poems: “If” (from R. Kipling), “A dream”,
“A path in Akademgorodok” 299
Reminiscences on Andrey Petrovich (A. A. Bers, E. A. Zhogolev,
L. L. Zmievskaya, S. S. Lavrov, E. Z. Lyubimskiy) 301
I. S. Kovalskiy. Informatics – the cause of life 314
N. A. Cheremnykh. The archives of Andrey Petrovich Ershov 319
Some documents from A. P. Ershov's archives 321 From materials of the International Symposium “Algorithms in Modern
Mathematics and its Applications” (Urgench, September 16–22, 1979): 330
A. P. Ershov, D. E. Knuth. Editor's Preface 330
The Programme of the Symposium 333
A. P. Ershov. Introduction for the organizers 335
SIBERIAN INFORMATICS 340
V. P. Il'in. Siberian informatics: the schools of G. I. Marchuk, A. P.
Ershov, N. N. Yanenko 340
YEREVAN 364
S. A. Nigiyan. On the Yerevan school of programming 364
R. I. Podlovchenko. Reminiscences on the days spent as
A. A. Lyapunov's pupil 370
TAGANROG 376
A. V. Kaliaev. The Taganrog scientific school in computer technology 376
III ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 405
V. N. Zakharov, Ya. I. Fet. Introduction 405
D. A. Pospelov. History of artificial intelligence
till the middle of the 80’s 407
D. A. Pospelov, V. F. Khoroshevskiy. The Working Group WG-18 430
D. A. Pospelov, V. F. Khoroshevskiy. May the miracle be repeated?
About the authors 460
Index 468
Contents (In Russian) 480
