Abram Ilyich Fet
Encyclopedia
Abram Ilyich Fet (born December 5, 1924 in Odessa
died July 30, 2007 in Novosibirsk
) was a Soviet and Russia
n mathematician. He is known for his work in topology, unitary symmetries of elementary particles and the theory of elementary particles. Fet proved now classical theorem in Riemannian geometry
, which says that on
every compact Riemannian manifold there exists at least one closed geodesic.
. Fet graduated from the mathematics department of Tomsk University and then continued his study in Moscow
under the supervision of Lyusternik. He defended his PhD Thesis at Moscow University, and afterwards came back to Siberia
. He worked at the Sobolev Institute of Mathematics in Novosibirsk Akademgorodok
and taught at Tomsk and Novosibirsk
Universities. In 1968 together with some other scientists he signed the so-called "letter of 46" which was a petition against the political trial of Yu. Galanskov
, A. Ginzburg
, A. Dobrovolsky and V. Lashkova. While the other supporters of the petition were urged by repressions to publicly withdraw their support, Fet did not do so. As a consequence he was fired from the institute and prohibited from any further teaching activities. During the following years Fet made his living by translations (he was fluent in six foreign languages and translated from twelve). This time he and his family often had not enough money for food, but only his closest friends knew about the situation. In 1972, mostly under the influence of his foreign colleagues, Fet was appointed to a research position at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, but was never allowed to teach. Fet continued his educational activities by organizing free seminars at his apartment.
In the Soviet time of economic shortages when commodities were distributed among the elite, Fet refused to benefit from any privilege authorized by his title of professor.
In 1990s Fet actively participated in the conferences of the Helsinki Group and its proceedings.
For several years Fet collaborated with a physicist Yu. B. Rumer working on the theory of unitary symmetry of elementary particles. Fet translated to Russian a number of books on history, psychology, economics and sociology. In particular, under a pseudonym A. I . Fedorov, he translated the works of Konrad Lorenz
. During the last years of his life Fet worked on a book "Instinct and social behavior” which he considered as the main result of his study of history, ethics and human behavior. The book was published in 2005 by Sova Publishing House (Novosibirsk).
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
died July 30, 2007 in Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District...
) was a Soviet and 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...
n mathematician. He is known for his work in topology, unitary symmetries of elementary particles and the theory of elementary particles. Fet proved now classical theorem in Riemannian geometry
Riemannian geometry
Riemannian geometry is the branch of differential geometry that studies Riemannian manifolds, smooth manifolds with a Riemannian metric, i.e. with an inner product on the tangent space at each point which varies smoothly from point to point. This gives, in particular, local notions of angle, length...
, which says that on
every compact Riemannian manifold there exists at least one closed geodesic.
Biography
A. I. Fet was born in Odessa in 1924. At the beginning of the war his family was evacuated to TomskTomsk
Tomsk is a city and the administrative center of Tomsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Tom River. One of the oldest towns in Siberia, Tomsk celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2004...
. Fet graduated from the mathematics department of Tomsk University and then continued his study 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...
under the supervision of Lyusternik. He defended his PhD Thesis at Moscow University, and afterwards came back to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. He worked at the Sobolev Institute of Mathematics in Novosibirsk Akademgorodok
Akademgorodok
Akademgorodok , is a part of the Russian city Novosibirsk, located 20 km south of the city center. It is the educational and scientific centre of Siberia...
and taught at Tomsk and Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk State University
Novosibirsk State University was founded in May 1959 in the USSR by Soviet academicians Mikhail Alekseevich Lavrentiev, Sergei Lvovich Sobolev and Sergey Alekseyevich Khristianovich in a program of establishing a Siberian branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences...
Universities. In 1968 together with some other scientists he signed the so-called "letter of 46" which was a petition against the political trial of Yu. Galanskov
Yuri Galanskov
Yuri Timofeyevich Galanskov was a Russian poet, historian, human rights activist and dissident. For his political activities, such as founding and editing samizdat almanac Phoenix, he was incarcerated in prisons, camps and forced treatment psychiatric hospitals ...
, A. Ginzburg
Alexander Ginzburg
Alexander Ilyich Ginzburg , was a Russian journalist, poet, human rights activist and dissident.During the Soviet period, Ginzburg edited the samizdat poetry almanac Sintaksis. Between 1961 and 1969 he was sentenced three times to labor camps...
, A. Dobrovolsky and V. Lashkova. While the other supporters of the petition were urged by repressions to publicly withdraw their support, Fet did not do so. As a consequence he was fired from the institute and prohibited from any further teaching activities. During the following years Fet made his living by translations (he was fluent in six foreign languages and translated from twelve). This time he and his family often had not enough money for food, but only his closest friends knew about the situation. In 1972, mostly under the influence of his foreign colleagues, Fet was appointed to a research position at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, but was never allowed to teach. Fet continued his educational activities by organizing free seminars at his apartment.
In the Soviet time of economic shortages when commodities were distributed among the elite, Fet refused to benefit from any privilege authorized by his title of professor.
In 1990s Fet actively participated in the conferences of the Helsinki Group and its proceedings.
For several years Fet collaborated with a physicist Yu. B. Rumer working on the theory of unitary symmetry of elementary particles. Fet translated to Russian a number of books on history, psychology, economics and sociology. In particular, under a pseudonym A. I . Fedorov, he translated the works of Konrad Lorenz
Konrad Lorenz
Konrad Zacharias Lorenz was an Austrian zoologist, ethologist, and ornithologist. He shared the 1973 Nobel Prize with Nikolaas Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch...
. During the last years of his life Fet worked on a book "Instinct and social behavior” which he considered as the main result of his study of history, ethics and human behavior. The book was published in 2005 by Sova Publishing House (Novosibirsk).