MSU Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics
The MSU Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics (also known as Department of Mechanics and Mathematics) is one of the most esteemed faculties of Moscow State University, widely regarded by students as one of the toughest faculties in the university.
Brief history
Although lectures in mathematics have been delivered since Moscow State University was founded in 1755, the separate mathematical and physical department was founded only in 1804. The Mathematics and Mechanics Department was founded on 1 May 1933 and comprised mathematics, mechanics and astronomy departments (the latter passed to the Physics Department in 1956). An extensive development of the department began after the World War II. In 1953 the department moved to the new building on the Sparrow Hills and the current division in mathematics and mechanics branches was settled. In 1970 the Department of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics broke off the department due to the extensive research in computer science.
Current state
Today the Mathematics and Mechanics Department comprises 26 chairs (17 in the mathematical and 9 in the mechanics branch) and 14 research laboratories. Around 350 professors, assistant professors and leading researchers work at the department, some of them working also in different institutions of Russian Academy of Sciences. Around 2000 students and 450 postgraduates study at the department getting professions “Mathematics. Applied mathematics” and “Mechanics. Applied mathematics”. The education lasts 5 years (6 years from 2011) and students choose their chair at 3rd year.
Notable faculty (past and present)
- Number theory – B. N. Delaunay, A. I. Khinchin, L. G. Shnirelman, A. O. Gelfond
- Algebra – B. N. Delaunay, O. U. Schmidt, A. G. Kurosh, Yu. I. Manin
- Topology – P. S. Alexandrov, A. N. Tychonoff, L. S. Pontryagin
- Real analysis – D. E. Menshov, A. I. Khinchin, N. K. Bari, A. N. Kolmogorov, S. B. Stechkin
- Complex analysis – I. I. Privalov, M. A. Lavrentiev, A. O. Gelfond, M. V. Keldysh
- Ordinary differential equations – V. V. Golubev, V. V. Stepanov, V. V. Nemitski, V. I. Arnold, N. N. Nekhoroshev
- Partial differential equations – I. G. Petrovsky, S. L. Sobolev, E. M. Landis
- Calculus of variations – L. A. Lusternik, L. G. Shnirelman
- Functional analysis – A. N. Kolmogorov, I. M. Gelfand
- Probability theory – A. I. Khinchin, A. N. Kolmogorov, Ya. G. Sinai
- Differential geometry – V. F. Kagan, S. P. Finikov, P. K. Raschevski, A. T. Fomenko, N. V. Efimov
- Theoretical Mechanics and Mechatronics – S. A. Chaplygin, D. E. Okhotsimsky, V. V. Rumyantsev
- Aero- and hydrodynamics – S. A. Chaplygin, L. I. Sedov
- Wave theory – A. I. Nekrasov, L. N. Sretenski
- Boundary layer theory, viscous fluids, external ballistics – N. A. Slezkin
- Gyroscope theory – B. V. Bulgakov, A. U. Ishlinskiy
- Elasticity theory – L. S. Lebenzon