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Sergei Sobolev

Founder of Functional Spaces

Sergei Lvovich Sobolev (1908–1989) was one of the greatest analysts of the 20th century. He developed Sobolev spaces, a cornerstone of functional analysis and partial differential equations.

Contributions

• Sobolev Spaces — Function spaces \(W^{k,p}\) that extend differentiability in the weak sense, vital for PDEs.
• Distribution Theory — Anticipated Schwartz’s theory by formalizing generalized derivatives.
• Computational Mathematics — Worked on numerical methods for physics and engineering.

Legacy

Sobolev’s framework underlies quantum mechanics, relativity, and modern numerical analysis. His mathematical vision helped shape Soviet applied science.

Facts

• Born in St. Petersburg, Russia.
• Worked on atomic bomb project in WWII.
• Namesake of Sobolev spaces.
• Founder of Siberian Division of Academy of Sciences.