Home > Ivan Matveevich Vinogradov

In analytic number theory, Vinogradov's method refers to his main problem-solving technique, applied to central questions involving the estimation of exponential sums. With its help, he tackled questions such as the ternary Goldbach problem, and the zero-free region for the Riemann zeta function. His own use of it was inimitable; in terms of later techniques, it is recognised as a prototype of the large sieve method in its application of bilinear forms, and also as an exploitation of combinatorial structure. In some cases his results resisted improvement for decades.

Complicity in aspects of the Soviet system

Vinogradov was a Communist PartyFor other usage of the initials CPSU see CPSU (disambiguation). The Communist Party of the Soviet Union ( Russian: was the name used by the successors of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party from 1952 to 1991, but the wordin official, as would be expected at the time of academics highly placed in administrative positions. Given his prominence, it is inescapable to conclude that he must have known of the repressive trends of the Soviet system, as they had an impact on the mathematical community of the USSR, continuing into the BrezhnevLeonid Ilyich Brezhnev ( Russian: ) ( December 19, 1906 November 10, 1982) was effective ruler of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982, though at first in partnership with others. He was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 era. The best-known of these was the harassment of JewThe word Jew is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to either a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or a member of the Jewish culture or ethnicity. This article discusses the term as describing an ethnic group; for aish refusenikRefusenik ( ru: , Otkaznik he: , me-su-rav-im was an unofficial label for Jewish citizens of the Soviet Union who were denied permission to emigrate to the State of Israel or abroad. Many of them were persecuted and their cause stirred international outcrs, actively promoted by the KGBFor other meanings, see KGB (disambiguation). The Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (or KGB ( Russian: ; English: Committee for State Security , was the name of the main Soviet Security Agency and intelligence agency, as well as the main secret police; but there were other aspects, beginning with but not limited to the difficulties placed in the way of talented Jewish students wishing to enter universities to study mathematics. There were further drives against dissidentA dissident is a person that actively opposes the established order. The term is most often used to refer to political dissidents usually against authoritarian regimes. Political dissidents usually use non-violent means, including voicing criticism of thes who were not Jewish (for example those with Orthodox ChristianThe term Orthodox Christian refers to two Christian traditions: Oriental Orthodoxy, which separated from the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church in the 5th century; Eastern Orthodoxy, which separated from Roman Catholicism in the 11th century Great Sch and Slavophile beliefs); promotion of party hacks with inadequate research work; limitation of foreign travel in the cases of the most distinguished academics; and alleged abuse of position to implement plagiarism.

It is not clear, and may never be known in detail, if Vinogradov himself was subject to particular pressure from the KGB to implement and continue such policies (well after the Stalin era). This being said, the evidence drawn from his behaviour and that of his associates, and from his rather overpowering character at the personal level, has led many people to very unfavourable conclusions about his complicity.