mathematics

Vladimir Uspensky

Vladimir Uspensky is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vladimir Uspensky rather than just read about it. In short: Vladimir Andreyevich Uspensky (Russian: Влади́мир Андре́евич Успе́нский; 27 November 1930 – 27 June 2018) was a Russian mathematician, linguist, writer, doctor of physics and mathematics (1964). He was the author of numerous papers on mathematical logic and linguistics.

Key takeaways

Vladimir Uspensky belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vladimir Uspensky to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vladimir Uspensky from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Vladimir Andreyevich Uspensky (Russian: Влади́мир Андре́евич Успе́нский; 27 November 1930 – 27 June 2018) was a Russian mathematician, linguist, writer, doctor of physics and mathematics (1964). He was the author of numerous papers on mathematical logic and linguistics. In addition, he also penned a number of memoir essays. Uspensky initiated a reform of linguistic education in Russia.

Biography Uspensky graduated in 1952 from the MSU Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics (Lomonosov Moscow State University). He was a student of Andrey Kolmogorov. He was the head of the Chair of Mathematical Logic and Theory of Algorithms in the MSU Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics (1995) and one of the founders of the Structural Linguistics branch (now the Theoretical and Applied Linguistics branch) in the MSU Faculty of Philology, where he also taught. He was the author of many books and of over 100 research papers. He prepared 25 candidates and 4 doctors of sciences. His book "The Apology of Mathematics" received in 2010 the “Enlightener" award in the field of natural and exact sciences. He was a distinguished professor at the Moscow State University (1998). His brother Boris Uspenskij is a distinguished Russian philologist and mythographer.

References V.A. Uspensky. Труды по нематематике. М.: ОГИ, 2002, т. I—II. ISBN 5-94282-087-2 (т.1), ISBN 5-94282-088-0 (т.2) Chapter from the book "Апология математики" V.A. Uspensky: Seven reflections on the themes of philosophy of mathematics V.A. Uspensky: Lecture on mathematics as part of the culture, and the Poincare conjecture

External links Mathematics Genealogy Project entry MSU home page Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine Dynkin Collection entry with video interviews Russian listing of publications Math-Net.ru list of publications, including video lectures

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vladimir Uspensky

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vladimir Uspensky claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vladimir Uspensky before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vladimir Uspensky ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vladimir Uspensky

In research: Vladimir Uspensky appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vladimir Uspensky in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vladimir Uspensky is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1930 births, 2018 deaths, Academic staff of Moscow State University, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vladimir Uspensky outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Vladimir Uspensky in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vladimir Uspensky means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vladimir Uspensky out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vladimir Uspensky in simple terms?

Why does Vladimir Uspensky matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vladimir Uspensky?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vladimir Uspensky.