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Mathematics in Moscow: it has been a great era. (Mathematik in Moskau – es war eine große Epoche.) (German) Zbl 1204.01042

This is a nostalgic look back and an apprehensive look forward in the post-1960 history of Moscow mathematics. As far as the past is concerned, the author presents snippets from the mathematical seminars (of Arnold, Gelfand, Shafarevich, A. Markov, Uspenski) that characterized the mathematical life in Moscow, emphasizing how broad and interdisciplinary (within or without mathematics) the topics of discussion were. He also attempts an explanation for the reason why this type of mathematical school formation, with leaders, specific styles discernible in the work of the members of the school, took shape during the Soviet times in Moscow, St. Petersburg (Leningrad), and other centers, and why the solitary pursuit of mathematics, so common in the West, “simply did not exist” then and there. The main reason for the seminar phenomenon of Soviet times is seen in the extreme isolation in which Soviet mathematics had to live at the time. Just as in biology, isolation played an essential role for the creation and consolidation of a new species. Of equal importance was the prevailing atmosphere of science worship, fueled by such practical achievements as the atomic bomb or space travel. The erosion of the era of seminar mathematics started in 1988, when travel became possible, and when large numbers of mathematicians decided to stay abroad. Although the situation has reached a certain stability point at present, the author sees several threats to pure mathematics, such as its excessive bureaucratization, the grant-culture, the takeover by the discrete in the wake of the computer intrusion with its own ideology, the negative attitude towards science, the growth of pseudo-science. Although he sees the size of the mathematics of the future shrinking, its continued existence is not threatened as long as there will be new generations born who will care for mathematics and not for the financial aspects of life or for their position in society.

MSC:

01A72 Schools of mathematics
01A60 History of mathematics in the 20th century
01A61 History of mathematics in the 21st century
01A80 Sociology (and profession) of mathematics
00A30 Philosophy of mathematics
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