Russian

The International Conference "Differential Equations, Theory of Functions, and Applications" Dedicated to the Centennial of Academician Ilia N. Vekua Novosibirsk, Russia, May 28 - June 2, 2007

Main Vekua I.N. Program Committee Organizing Committee Program Abstracts Photo Useful Information Contact Information

On April 23 the scientific community celebrates the centenary of Ilia Nestorovich Vekua, a first-rate scientist in mathematics and mechanics, public figure, leader and a prominent representative of the Georgian mathematical school, a first-rate organizer of science and enlightenment. Ilia Nestorovich Vekua was born in 1907 in the Georgian village of Sheshelety. Having left school in the town of Zugdidi he continued education at the Department of Physics and Mathematics of Tbilisi State University. Having graduated the university in 1930 he was directed to Leningrad for the post-graduate courses in the Soviet Academy of Sciences. After the post-graduate studies he returned to Georgia. By that time Ilia Nestorovich has obtained a series of fundamental results in various areas of theoretical and applied mathematics and become one of the leading representatives of the Georgian mathematical school led by Academician N.I.Muskhelishvili. In 1939, two years after defending the candidate's theses, Ilia Nestorovich defended the thesis for a Doctor's degree and became a professor at the age of 32. In 1944 he became a corresponding member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences and two years later he was elected its full member and a corresponding member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. In 1958 he became a full member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. From 1959 until 1964 he work as a rector of Novosibirsk State University and in 1965-1972 as a rector of Tbilisi State University. From 1972 I.N.Vekua was the President of the Georgian Academy of Sciences. In the world of science I.N.Vekua is famous for his diverse research activity which encompasses a vast range of problems from various areas of theoretical and applied mathematics. The main works of I.N.Vekua are related to new scientific directions in contemporary mathematical physics. His works on the PDE's are primarily dedicated to establishing the analytic theory for a broad class of elliptic equations. He built up the theory of linear elliptic PDE's with analytic coefficients in two independent variables. I.N.Vekua significantly contributed to the theory one-dimensional singular integral equations and was the one to discover and investigate a new class of non-Fredholm elliptic boundary-value problems. In mechanics I.N.Vekua proposed a new variant of mathematical theory of elastic shells. He solved difficult problems on small bending of surfaces and the closely connected problems of momentless shell theory. The significance of I.N.Vekua's research was justified by eminent state and government awards. The fruitful research activity of I.N.Vekua successfully went with big science-managerial, pedagogical and social work. A successful scientist, he was also very gifted and had the vigour of research supervisor and organizer. Ilia Nestorovich had many students and followers. His methods are developed and applied by a number of scientific schools, among them are the leading scientific schools of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. I.N.Vekua directly participated in planning the Siberian Branch of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. High scientific authority and the outstanding managerial skills of I.N.Vekua played an important part in making the new Siberian university work successfully. I.N.Vekua was the first rector of Novosibirsk State University for 6 years since 1959. The principles of organization of work and educational process in the institution which were elaborated with his assistance and laid as the foundation of the Novosibirsk State University's functioning, one of them being the close connection between science and higher education, made it possible for the University to become the match for the world centers training highly qualified scientific staff. As a token of heartfelt gratitude and in order to commemorate the great scientist and the first rector there is a memorial plaque placed on the main building of Novosibirsk State University with the bas-relief of I.N.Vekua. Some photos from archives of the Museum of NSU history: For additional information see the book dedicated to I.N.Vekua Bitsazde A.V. Ilia Nesterovich Vekua. Tbilisi, "Metsniereba", 1987. and the site http://www.rmi.acnet.ge/person/vekua/