History of Nonlinear Dynamics. Personalia

The difference between procedures of receiving scientific degrees in Europe and Russia is demonstrated by means of comparison of thesis defences by Nobel laureate Albert Einstein (1876–1955) in Zurich University (1905) and outstanding Russian/American sociologist Pitirim Sorokin (1889–1968) in Peterburg University (1922).

The early fifties. The Chair of electronics is making at Saratov State University. The graduating student of 1954 writes this paper about the first years of the Chair formation, its scientific subjects, famous «basement» and, above all, about people – colleagues, scientists, friends.

The paper is devoted to the three talented physicists, who headed the chair of electronics (later – the chair of electronics, oscillations and waves) in different years and had the position of the rector of Saratov State University. One chair – three heads – three rectors. Organizing, pedagogical and scientific activity of the protagonists of the paper is given on the historic background of the life of the University.

Latest developments and successes achieved of the Chair of electronics, oscillation and waves of the Saratov state University are described.

The paper is devoted to the research and teaching of Vladimir Aleksandrovich Krasilnikov, Honored Professor of Moscow University, recipient of the USSR State Prize, chairman of Acoustics Department at Physics Faculty of Moscow State University from 1975 till 1987.

Doctor of chemistry, honored science worker of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Professor Roman Victorovich Mertslin was an outstanding scientist, an eminent public figure, Rector of Perm and Saratov universities, a talented teacher, and an organizer of science. R.V. Mertslin’s interests were in the field of theoretical and experimental research of heterogeneous condensed states in multicomponent systems. His works, being of great importance for the development of a theory of phase equilibrium, are  well-known to numerous domestic and foreign scientists.

Memory notes about childhood at the time of the Great Patriotic war.

Information about 6th All-Union Congress of Physicists in 1928 and the 20th International Symposium «Nanostructures: Physics and Technology» in 2012 is given. The similarities in the principles of the organization are noted, the differences are discussed. Affinity of objectives of these activities and their relationship with the best traditions in domestic science are marked.

Sergei P. Kurdyumov (1928–2004) and his distinguished contribution in the development of the modern interdisciplinary theory and methodology of study of complex self-organizing systems, i.e. synergetics, is under consideration in the article. The matter of a mathematical model of evolutionary dynamics of complex systems elaborated by him is demonstrated. The nonlinear equation of heat conductivity serves as a basis of the model.

A short review of contribution to the deterministic chaos theory, that had been made by professor Alexander F. Goloubentsev (Saratov University), is given.