Vladimir Steklov

Vladimir A. Steklov.

Steklov was born in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. In 1887, he graduated from Kharkov University, where he was a student of Aleksandr Lyapunov. In 1889-1906 he worked at the Department of Mechanics of this University. He became a full professor in 1896. During 1893 - 1905 he also taught theoretical mechanics in Kharkov technological institute. From 1906 he worked at Petersburg University. In 1921 he petitioned for creation of Institute of Physics and Mathematics. Upon his death the institute was named after him. The Mathematics Department split from the Institute in 1934. It's now known as Steklov Institute of Mathematics.

Steklov's primary scientific contribution is in the area of orthogonal functional sets. He introduced a class of closed orthogonal sets; developed asymptotic Liouville-Steklov's method for orthogonal polynomials; proved theorems on generalized Fourier series. Steklov developed approximation technique later named Steklov function. He also worked on hydrodynamics and theory of elasticity.

Steklov wrote a number of works on history of science.

Steklov died in Gaspra, Crimea, USSR (now Ukraine). He was interred in Saint Petersburg, Russia.