HISTORY of COMPUTER SCIENCE (Digest)

RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES SIBERIAN BRANCH INSTITUTE OF COMPUTATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND MATHEMATICAL GEOPHYSICS

Book Series

HISTORY OF COMPUTER SCIENCE (Digest)

NOVOSIBIRSK RUSSIA 2009 681.3(0.91) 22.18+32.81 B 77

Book Series “History of Computer Science” (Digest) / Ed. by Ya. Fet.––Novosibirsk: Inst. of Comp. Math. and Math. Geoph. SB RAS Publ., 2009. ––52 p.

The book series “History of Computer Science” presents the results of investigations on the history of computing which are carried out at the Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics (former Computing Center) of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences. In this booklet, brief information is collected (Annotation, Preface, and Contents) concerning each of the published books of the series “History of Computer Science”. The booklet is addressed to specialists in computer science, and general readers interested in the history of computing.

ISBN 978-5-901548-37-0 °c ICM&MG SB RAS, 2009 Contents

Introduction ...... 4

Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia ...... 6 Preface ...... 6 Contents ...... 9

Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov ...... 13 Preface ...... 13 Contents ...... 15

Kolmogorov and Cybernetics ...... 18 Preface ...... 18 Contents ...... 21

Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1 ...... 22 Preface ...... 22 Contents ...... 28

Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 2 ...... 31 Contents ...... 31

History of Computer Science in Russia: the Scientists and Their Schools ...... 37 Preface ...... 37 Contents ...... 40

From the History of Cybernetics ...... 43 Preface ...... 43 Contents ...... 46

Axel Ivanovich Berg (1893–1979) ...... 47 Preface ...... 47 Contents ...... 50 Introduction

In this booklet we are presenting brief information on the book series “History of Computer Science” which is under development in the Institute of Computation Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics (former Computing Center) of the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences. The Siberian Branch, from the very beginning, was considered a highly professional mathematical and cybernetic institution where the scientists will use every possible means of computational mathematics and advanced digital computers in order to ﬁnd so- lutions of the most important theoretical and applied problems. During a deﬁnite period the Novosibirsk Academic Village rep- resented a kind of a metropolis of Computer Science in our country. Looking back, at the history of formation and development of cybernetics in Russia, one can suppose that it was not a casual chance that the initiative of research and teaching the History of Computer Science appeared exactly hear, in Siberian Branch. And the results of these investigations are systematically published here. At present, our book series “History of Computer Science” include the following eight volumes: Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia (1998). Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov (2001). Kolmogorov and Cybernetics (2001). Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1 (2002). Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: A Man and a Scientist. Vol. 2 (2004). History of Computer Science in Russia: the Scientists and Their Schools (2003). From the History of Cybernetics (2006). Axel Ivanovich Berg (2007 ). Introduction 5

Each of the mentioned books (as well as the whole collection) presents a unique source of essays, reminiscences, documents, and photos depicting the most important events in course of development of Computer Science in our country. Most heroes of these books are members of Russian Academy of Sciences, Laureates of the highest Russian and International Awards. Essentially, the contents of the present books cover all sections of Computer Science, and all periods of its development. Thus, our Book Series allows to reconstruct the authentic history of Russian Computer Science. Naturally, our books are published in low number of copies, and it is hard now to ﬁnd them. Moreover, they are written in Russian language! Thus, we decided to prepare this booklet which will permit, for English speaking reader, to make some acquaintance with this Series.

Ya. Fet Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia

Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia / Edited by D. Pospelov and Ya. Fet. –– Novosibirsk: Scientiﬁc Publ. Center of RAS, 1998. ––664 pp. + 16 pp. of photos. (In Russian). ISBN 5-7692-0101-0.

The book is a collection of various materials concerning the period of origin of computer science in Russia. Papers by leading specialists are included analyzing the ways of development of cybernetic movement in our country, as well as memoirs of the participants of those events, essays on most distinguished scientists and scientiﬁc schools, reprints of some important papers of the 50s and 60s. A series of archive materials is published related to the activities of famous scientists of those days: A. I. Berg, L. V. Kantorovich, A. N. Kolmogorov, A. A. Lyapunov, and others. The book is intended for scientists as well as for general readers interested in the history of computer science.

Preface The dramatic history of the struggle for cybernetics in our country followed by the recognition of the new science, its subsequent rapid development in the 60s which assured a front-rank position of the Russian computer science, as well as the later events in the history of cybernetics and computer science in Russia all deserves to enter the annals of the history of science. The birth of cybernetics is usually associated with the publication, fifty years ago, of Norbert Wiener’s book “Cybernetics or control and communication in the animal and the machine”. In fact, 1998 may be considered an anniversary year in more than one sense: it has been 50 years since Wiener’s book was published, 40 years since it was first translated into Russian, and 40 years since the publication of the first original Russian monograph on cybernetics, the “Signal” by I. A. Poletaev. Therefore, the appearance of the present collection seems to be rather timely. Included in it are authentic documents of the epoch, Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia 7 of which some have previously been published in various books and periodicals, while others were preserved during those long years in the private archives of the participants of those historic events. It is through the memoirs penned by a variety of authors that we have tried to recapture the atmosphere of those years and delin- eate the figures of prominent scientists of those times (A. I. Berg, V. M. Glushkov, L. V. Kantorovich, A. N. Kolmogorov, A. A. Lya- punov) whose common efforts secured the proper standing of cybernetics and, later, of the computer science in Russia. The idea of this book was first conceived by M. G. Haase-Ra- poport. He was one of those who stood at the very origins of Russian cybernetics to which he devoted his whole life. He participated in all crucial events of those years, while his unique “scientific diaries” ––dozens of large format notebooks in which Modest Georgievich used to record everything related to the science he served ––have now become a priceless source of our knowledge of those times. He shared his plans with us and invited us to take part in their implementation. In order to enrich the book with collective memoirs of the people who were in the midst of things, Haase-Papoport organized in 1983 a special seminar on the history of cybernetics which was held regularly at the Polytechnic Museum in Moscow. Many of the “pioneers” of our cybernetics appeared at the sessions of this seminar to discuss outstanding scientists, individual scientific schools, or specific events. The audio recordings of the seminar as well as Modest Georgievich’s “scientific diaries” allowed us to bring the spirit of those old times back to the reader. Modest Georgievich did not live to see the completion of this book. However, we have always tried to follow his vision in the course of our work. We have also made use of his drafts and ideas as well as of the materials from his huge archive which is still waiting for an inquisitive researcher. To the memory of Mod- est Georgievich Haase-Rapoport, a true knight of the science, we dedicate this book. 8 History of Computer Science

The completion of this book would have been impossible without the help of many people involved in the history of Russian science. Numerous documents became accessible to the editors when they were provided with the opportunity to study the private archives of A. A. Lyapunov, L. V. Kantorovich, and I. A. Po- letaev. The fact that these documents now appear in print is due to the eﬀorts of the children of these scientists, Nataliya Alex- eevna Lyapunova, Vsevolod Leonidovich Kantorovich, and Andrey Igorevich Poletaev. Susanna Stepanovna Maschan who had for a long time worked with A. I. Berg was kind enough to familiarize the editors with a series of previously unknown materials on the role that A. I. Berg had played in the evolution of cybernetics in our country. As a rule, most people who participated in the events of those times readily responded to our invitation to take part in the preparation of materials for this book. Thanks to their interest and en- thusiasm, the essays and memoirs by O. S. Kulagina, I. A. Melchuk, R. I. Podlovchenko, V. A. Ratner, A. A. Titlyanova, V. A. Uspen- sky, and V. A. Zalgaller now appear in this collection. V. A. Us- pensky, furthermore, presented important materials concerning A. N. Kolmogorov and his attitude toward the cybernetics. In- cluded are also several essays on the development of mathematical and structural linguistics within the “culture medium” of cybernetics. These essays have been written by the protagonists of the process, Vyach. Vs. Ivanov, I. A. Melchuk, V. A. Uspensky. We had the assistance of many others as well. We would like to express our deep gratitude to all of them. The book is now ready, but the ﬂow of new materials is not diminishing. Therefore, we are hopeful that this volume will soon be followed by another one. The editors themselves were witnesses to, and participants of, the events described. Still, they have tried to minimize their in- evitable subjective viewpoint in the interpretation of the events. All the texts are presented with minimal editing.

Dmitri Pospelov, Yakov Fet Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia 9

Contents Preface (in Russian) ...... 3 Preface (in English) ...... 5 D. A. Pospelov. Development of computer science in Russia . . . . 7 I. Early history of Soviet cybernetics ...... 45 A. A. Lyapunov. On the use of mathematical machines in solving logical problems ...... 45 Discussion of the lecture by Professor A. A. Lyapunov “On the use of mathematical machines in solving logical problems” . . . . . 52 S. L. Sobolev, A. A. Lyapunov, A. I. Kitov. Essential aspects of cybernetics ...... 84 Discussion of the article “Essential aspects of cybernetics” by S. L. Sobolev, A. A. Lyapunov, and A. I. Kitov with the editorial board of the “Problems of Philosophy” Journal ...... 103 Seminar on cybernetics, November 14, 1955 ...... 114 V. A. Uspensky. Fragments from reminiscences ...... 121 V. A. Uspensky. Two paragraphs from the article “Preamble to the Semiotic Messages by Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov for the readers of New Literary Review” ...... 130 V. V. Ivanov, M. K. Polivanov, V. A. Uspensky. Theses on cybernetics with comments ...... 137 A. N. Kolmogorov. Theses on cybernetics ...... 142 A. N. Kolmogorov. Automata and life (synopsis of a report) . . . . 147 V. M. Glushkov. Some problems of computing and related mathematical problems ...... 150 Discussion of cybernetics with A. A. Lyapunov, February 17, 1957 159 Resolution of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences (draft) ...... 162 Minutes of the meeting on the establishment of an Institute of Cybernetics within the Physico-Mathematical Division of the USSR Academy of Sciences ...... 164 A proposal on the establishment of the Institute of Cybernetics of the USSR Academy of Sciences ...... 167 A. A. Lyapunov. Draft list of areas of research for the Institute of Cybernetics ...... 169 I. A. Poletaev. Comments on the Draft list of areas of research for the Institute of Cybernetics by A. A. Lyapunov ...... 173 10 History of Computer Science

The structure of the Institute of Cybernetics of the USSR Academy of Sciences ...... 179 Resolution of the Presidium of USSR Academy of Sciences concerning the establishment of the Institute of Cybernetics . . . . 180 A letter by the Secretary of the Physico-Mathematical Division of the USSR Academy of Sciences to A. A. Lyapunov ...... 183 R. I. Podlovchenko. A. A. Lyapunov’s contribution to cybernetics . 184 N. V. Timofeev-Ressovsky. A word to mathematicians ...... 189 A. P. Ershov. The teacher ...... 193 Yu. A. Shreider. A. A. Lyapunov, a leader of cybernetics as a sci- entiﬁc movement ...... 197 A. I. Fet. Recollections of Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov ...... 206 I. B. Pogozhev. Lyapunov had a gift to presentiment the future needs of science...... 209 G. Sh. Fridman. A few words about Alexey Andreevich ...... 211 A. I. Berg. A science of unlimited potentialities ...... 213 M. G. Haase-Rapoport. Openning address at the First Seminar on the History of Cybernetics, December 22, 1983 ...... 222 M. G. Haase-Rapoport. On the formation of cybernetics in the USSR ...... 225 II. Computer Linguistics ...... 257 Vyach. Vs. Ivanov. Academician A. I. Berg and the development of structural linguistics and semiotics in the USSR ...... 257 V. A. Uspensky. The “silver age” of structural, applied, and mathematical linguistics in the USSR and V. Yu. Rosenzweig: how it all began (notes of an eyewitness) ...... 273 Vyach. Vs. Ivanov. From the past of semiotics, structural linguistics, and poetics ...... 310 O. S. Kulagina. A. A. Lyapunov and the machine translation . . . 341 A. K. Zholkovsky. About Melchuk ...... 351 I. A. Melchuk. How mathematical linguistics was born ...... 358 III. Cybernetic problems of biology ...... 371 N. V. Timofeev-Ressovsky, A. G. Malenkov. An inheritance waiting for heirs ...... 371 V. A. Ratner. Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov ...... 379 V. A. Ratner. Igor Andreevich Poletayev ...... 386 A. A. Titlyanova. A systemic approach in ecology (the way A. A. Lyapunov did it) ...... 392 Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia 11

A. M. Molchanov. Limiting factors (according to Poletayev) and the principle of Le Chatelier ...... 399 V. E. Demidov. Nikolay Alexandrovich Bernstein and biocyberne- tics ...... 405 IV. Cybernetics in Economics ...... 417 L. V. Kantorovich. My road in science (fragments) ...... 417 L. V. Kantorovich. The prospect of the development and application of electronic calculating machines ...... 429 L. V. Kantorovich. Report at the Annual General Meeting of the USSR Academy of Sciences, March 27, 1959 ...... 437 L. T. Petrova. Commentary to the works by L. V. Kantorovich on large-scale programming ...... 446 V. A. Zalgaller. Recollections of L. V. Kantorovich and of the emo- tions related to his works on economics ...... 449 G. P. Akilov. He aimed at invisible targets ...... 456 I. M. Gelfand. Leonid Kantorovich and a synthesis of two cultures 460 V. Biographical Materials ...... 463 R. I. Podlovchenko. Reﬂections on the phenomenon of Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov ...... 463 B. A. Trakhtenbrot. Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov ...... 470 “Computer Pioneer” awards for Russian scientists ...... 480 M. M. Botvinnik. From the series “Portraits and sketches” . . . . . 481 V. A. Uspensky. Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov––the great Rus- sian scientist ...... 484 L. V. Kantorovich. Autobiography ...... 506 A. I. Poletaev. “Military cybernetics”, or A fragment of the history of a domestic “pseudo-science” ...... 515 W. M. Tursky. Andrey Petrovich Ershov ...... 531 S. S. Maschan. The last years of the life of academician A. I. Berg . 536 M. A. Berg. Recollections of my father. Before the war ...... 544 E. V. Markova. An echo of Gulag in the Academic Board on Cybernetics ...... 551 Vyach. Vs. Ivanov. From the history of cybernetics in the USSR. An essay on the life and work of M. L. Tsetlin ...... 556 N. N. Vorontsov. Afterword to the “Pages of My Life” by M. M. Zavadovsky ...... 580 A. A. Lyapunov. P. P. Lazarev: in memoriam ...... 594 12 History of Computer Science

VI. Supplements ...... 603 Cybernetics (an article from the “Concise Dictionary of Philoso- phy”, 1954) ...... 603 In whose service is cybernetics? ...... 604 A. N. Kolmogorov. Cybernetics (an article from the “Soviet Ency- clopaedia”, 1958, Vol. 51) ...... 614 Vyach. Vs. Ivanov, M. K. Polivanov, V. A. Uspensky. Wiener (an article from the “Soviet Encyclopaedia”, 1958, Vol. 51) . . . . 617 A. N. Kolmogorov. Foreword to the translation of the book “Introduction to Cybernetics” by W. R. Ashby ...... 618 A. N. Kolmogorov. Automata and life (report) ...... 621 About the authors ...... 633 Index ...... 639 Contents (in English) ...... 656 Contents (in Russian) ...... 659 Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov

Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov / Edited by N. Lyapunova and Ya. Fet.–– Novosibirsk: Scientiﬁc Publ. Center of RAS, 2001.––52pp. + 32 pp. of photos. (In Russian). ISBN 5-901548-07-8. The book describes the life and activities of the outstanding Russian scientist Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov. Lyapunov holds a special place in the history of science in this country due to his leading part in the struggle for recognition and development of cybernetics. The collection of materials and documents presented in this book dates back mainly to the Siberian period of Lyapunov’s life, that is, 1961–1973. These records characterize A. A. Lyapunov not only as a scientist, a teacher, and a public ﬁgure, but also as a distinguished and honorable person. His life was, and still remains an outstanding example of serving the public interest. The book is addressed to students, teachers, and general readers interested in the history of computer science.

Preface A. A. Lyapunov’s private library keeps a Russian translation of W. Ross Ashby’s book “An Introduction to Cybernetics” published in Moscow in 1959. The ﬂy-title page of the volume bears a handwritten dedication:

“To “the father of Soviet cybernetics” dear Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov. 28/IV19592”, signed by the author of the Foreword A. N. Kolmogorov, the editor V. A. Uspensky, and the translator D. G. Lakhuti. Many years have passed, and recently, in 1996, the IEEE Com- puter Society honored Alexey Lyapunov as a Computer Pioneer who “founded Soviet cybernetics and programming”. A. A. Lyapunov was a representative of old Russian nobility which originated numerous distinguished workers of Russian science and culture during 19th and 20th centuries. While still a young talented mathematician who already was a hero of the Great 14 History of Computer Science

Patriotic War and a Professor of the Department of Mathematics at the Moscow Artillery Academy, Alexey Lyapunov headed, in the early 50s, the struggle for the recognition of cybernetics in our country. In those hard times, when dogmatic Marxist philoso- phers denounced cybernetics as a “reactionary pseudo-science”, Lyapunov organized the first in Russia scientific seminar on cybernetics at the Moscow State University. Then he launched his famous series of collections “Problemy Kibernetiki” (“Systems Anal- ysis”). The fearless struggle for the new science was crowned with full victory. A lot of materials and documents related to this early period of development of Soviet cybernetics as well as to A. A. Lyapunov’s activities were published in 1998 in the book “Essays on the His- tory of Computer Science in Russia”. In 1961, on invitation by the management of the Siberian Divi- sion of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Alexey Andreevich moved to Novosibirsk where he worked for the rest of his life. The Siberian period was one of the most fruitful in Lyapunov’s life. With the total energy so characteristic of him, Alexey Andreevich joined the organizing of cybernetic scientific teams here. He played the decisive role in the creation of the Cybernetic Department at the Institute of Mathematics and has established the Chairs of Math- ematical Analysis and Theoretical Cybernetics at the Novosibirsk State University. A. A. Lyapunov was a distinguished teacher and disseminator of scientific knowledge. His interests covered the teaching at all the stages of education, from the university down to the primary school level. Alexey Andreevich’s pedagogic activity reached its highest point at the Novosibirsk Academic Village. Together with M. A. Lavrentiev, he initiated the establishment at the Novosibirsk University of the first “Physico-Mathematical School” in our country. He also was one of the organizers of Siberian Mathematical Olympiads and Summer Physico-Mathematical Schools. The present book is a collection of reminiscences by Alexey Andreevich’s colleagues, students, and friends related mainly to Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov 15 the Novosibirsk period. Some unpublished articles, letters, and other materials are also included portraying A. A. Lyapunov not only as a scientist, teacher, and public figure, but also as a remarkable person whose life was and still is a prominent example of service to the Russian science and the Russian people. In preparation of this book, many unique materials were used including some from A. A. Lyapunov’s private archives. We have received great assistance from a lot of people, especially from relatives, friends, and co-workers of the scientist. We would like to express our deep gratitude to all of them.

Nataliya Lyapunova, Yakov Fet

Contents Preface (in Russian) ...... 3 Preface (in English) ...... 5 N. A. Lyapunova. Eleven happy years ...... 7 I. THE COLLEAGUES, PUPILS, BROTHER-SOLDIERS, JOURNALISTS SPEAKING ABOUT A. A. LYAPUNOV . . . 51 R. I. Podlovchenko. Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov, the father of Russian cybernetics ...... 51 N. N. Vorontsov. The environment and the personality ...... 58 A. P. Ershov. In memory of Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov . . . . . 81 G. P. Bagrinovskaya, A. M. Fedotov, I. A. Poletaev. Foreword to “Some problems of mathematical biology” ...... 85 S. L. Sobolev. A. A. Lyapunov and cybernetics ...... 90 A. P. Ershov. A. A. Lyapunov and programming ...... 92 R. S. Guter. In memory of Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov ...... 94 I. B. Pogozhev. He put people together kindly and ﬁrmly...... 100 R. P. Trusov. That was he — Lyapunov ...... 105 Wanda Beletskaya. [Conversation in a hospital ward (Reply to Mr. Trusov’s letter)] ...... 107 A. A. Lyapunov. A letter to D. S. Nalivayko ...... 109 V. T. Stebunov. A letter to D. A. Granin ...... 112 V. Maltsev. He saw the problem exhaustive ...... 118 16 History of Computer Science

V. T. Dementyev, Yu. L. Vasilyev, N. I. Glebov. Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov ...... 121 Vladimir Volodkin, Theodor Gladkov. Ordinary children ...... 124 K. Volodin. Initiation into the FMSh pupils ...... 130 S. I. Literat. The organizer and supervisor of a novel school . . . . 132 The 60th Anniversary of A. A. Lyapunov ...... 136 The High Award ...... 136 G. Bagrinovskaya, R. Kuklin. Pioneer of Soviet cybernetics . . . . . 137 Yu. Vasilyev. His weapon is mathematics ...... 141 Selection from telegrams ...... 141 II. A. A. LYAPUNOV ON EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS . . . . . 154 The young mathematicians compete ...... 154 On the problems of teaching literature in the Physico-Mathema- tical School ...... 159 The torch of talent ...... 160 A school of new type ...... 165 To the Second All-Union conference on programmed learning and technical means of teaching ...... 169 The ﬁrst-borns of the Physico-Mathematical School in the universities ...... 172 To the All-Union meeting of young rationalizers and inventors . . 174 Modern people and the school ...... 176 On teaching physico-mathematical and natural sciences in the Physico-Mathematical School at the Novosibirsk University . . 178 Students, grades, abilities ...... 190 A word to those who enter ...... 193 The road to science ...... 200 The fund of teachers knowledge ...... 202 Whether Nikitins’ experience will be studied? ...... 205 The educational experiment is absolutely necessary ...... 207 Mathematics in technical universities: the onthodidactic problem . 213 Is it necessary to be an excellent pupil? ...... 224 How to become an erudite? ...... 208 III. A. A. LYAPUNOV AND THE REBIRTH OF SOVIET BIOLOGY ...... 234 V. A. Ratner. A bite of the expiring reptile (from A. A. Lyapunov’s archives) ...... 234 Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov 17

A. A. Lypunov’s friends and like-minded fellows in defence of his cause ...... 242 A letter by G. F. Rybkin, Director of Fizmatgiz, to A. I. Berg . . . 243 A letter by A. I. Berg to A. A. Lyapunov ...... 244 [Reply from A. N. Kolmogorov] ...... 244 [Reply from S. L. Sobolev] ...... 247 [Reply from M. A. Lavrentiev] ...... 250 [Reply from R. L. Berg] ...... 250 [Reply from A. A. Malinovsky] ...... 258 A letter by A. I. Berg to G. F. Rybkin ...... 265 Collective letter to the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU ...... 266 [1st version] ...... 266 [ﬁnal version] ...... 268 A. A. Lyapunov. Towards the unity of subject and method . . . . . 269 IV. TRAITS TO THE PORTRAIT ...... 272 P. Rondier. The French view of Siberia ...... 272 L. Chernova. Treasure “Island” ...... 276 A. A. Lyapunov, K. A. Timofeyev, V. V. Khvostova. Don’t water down the musical life ...... 279 V. A. Lothar-Shevchenko. Music in A. A. Lyapunov’s life ...... 281 Yu. A.Pervin. Alexey Andreevich, France, Lothar-Shevchenko . . . 283 V. A. A. LYAPUNOV SUPPORTS, RECOMMENDS, CRITICIZES...... 292 VI. CORRESPONDENCE ...... 324 The authors ...... 504 Index ...... 506 Contents (in English) ...... 514 Contents (in Russian) ...... 517 Kolmogorov and Cybernetics

Kolmogorov and Cybernetics / Edited by D. Pospelov and Ya. Fet. –– Novosibirsk: Scientiﬁc Publ. Center of RAS, 2001. ––159 pp. (In Russian). ISBN 5-901548-06-X.

The book is dedicated to Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov, the great mathematician and thinker. Materials are gathered reﬂecting Kolmogorov’s view on cybernetics and his contribution to the formation and development of this science. Most of these materials are published for the ﬁrst time.

Preface

This book is dedicated to the subject “Kolmogorov and Cybernet- ics”. It can be of interest from various points of view. First of all, it vividly reflects the personality of Andrey Niko- laevich Kolmogorov, one of the greatest mathematicians of the twenties century, a deep thinker, and an inspired dreamer who tried to anticipate the future of the humankind. The reader will also be able to sense the romanticism of the early 60s when a new generation of Russian scientists first ea- gerly embraced the ideas of cybernetics. In their youth, just 6 years prior to the famous Kolmogorov’s presentation “Automata and Life” , these scientists could read in the 1954 edition of the Philosophical Dictionary the following definition of cybernetics: “a pseudo-science . . . directed against the materialist dialectics, contemporary scientific physiology as established by I. P. Pavlov, and Marxist , i. e. scientific, understanding of the laws of social life”. And, finally, the collection as a whole presents a fascinating historical document: many of its materials describe a distinctive period in the development of our country and our science – the time of a sudden turn in the historical fortune of a whole nation, the time that brought new hopes and a change of generations in mathematics. Kolmogorov and Cybernetics 19

All the above becomes especially important during this first year of the century, indeed of new millennium: the time to sum up the past, the time to think of the future. The title of this collection coincides with the title of a paper included in it and written by Ya. M. Barzdin and R. V. Freiwald as a result of the 6th All-Union Conference on Theoretical Cyber- netics held in Gorky (now Nizhni Novgorod) in 1988. This paper is published for the first time and is somewhat abridged by agree- ment with the authors. We will let the reader decide whether the issues raised in it are still relevant more than a decade later. The central position in this book is occupied by materials related to A. N. Kolmogorov’s presentation “Automata and Life” which was delivered on April 6, 1961 at Moscow State University as well as by some publications that followed this event. N. G. Khim- chenko (Rychkova), the author of an abridged version of the report published in the “Tekhnika–Molodezhy” magazine, put in a lot of effort in order to clear the text of simplifications made by the editorial staff. This well known and repeatedly published report is now appearing precisely as in was first submitted to the magazine with Kolmogorov’s “blessing”. Thoroughly verified were also the “Theses” that Andrey Nikolaevich personally wrote for the presentation. The details of this work are discussed by N. G. Khimchenko in her note “The way it was. . . ”. Quite surprisingly, when this collection was already put, two almost incredible events happened. First, Ya. I. Fet discovered in A. A. Lyapunov’s archives a letter sent by A. N. Kolmogorov to A. A. Lyapunov which enclosed, as a topic to be discussed, Kol- mogorov’s letter to A. I. Berg who at the time was the Chairmen of the Council on Cybernetics. The letters discuss publications closely relater to the report “Automata and Life”. The second discovery was made by A. N. Shiryaev who found in Kolmogorov’s home archives a yellowed folder designated, in Andrey Nikolae- vich’s hand, “My presentation “Automata and Life””. The folder contained, besides the “Theses”, 24 notes sent by the audience 20 History of Computer Science during the presentation itself. Needless to say that the editors included all these materials in their collection. The collection begins with another exiting project, a preliminary version of an A. N. Kolmogorov’s Web page. At present, the students of Andrey Nikolaevich are reviewing the page and pro- viding their inputs. After this work is completed, the page can be found in the Internet. We will appreciate any comments from the readers concerning these materials. Finally, the editors have included a few words of my own on the subject “Kolmogorov and Cybernetics” written especially for this publication. Concluding this brief introduction, I would like to express my hope that the reader will be impressed by the materials of this collection. Let me also wish the creators of this Series a lot of success in their noble efforts.

V. Tikhomirov Kolmogorov and Cybernetics 21

Contents Foreword (in Russian) ...... 3 Foreword (in English) ...... 7 A. N. Kolmogorov (Web page. Preliminary version) ...... 10 Ya. M. Barzdin, R. V. Freiwald. Kolmogorov and cybernetics . . . 52 A. N. Kolmogorov. Automata and life (theses of a report) . . . . . 77 A.N. Kolmogorov. Automata and life (exposition of the report) . . 83 Questions sent to A. N. Kolmogorov during his presentation “Au- tomata and life” ...... 106 N. G. Khimtchenko (Rychkova). The way it was...... 110 A. N. Kolmogorov’s letter to A. I. Berg (1961) ...... 115 Shorthand record of A. N. Kolmogorov’s report “The notion of information and the fundamentals of the probability theory” . 118 Answers to the questions sent to A. N. Kolmogorov during his presentation “The notion of information and the fundamentals of the probability theory” ...... 138 A. N. Kolmogorov’s review of Yu. Ofman’s degree work “Parallel automaton” ...... 143 A.N. Kolmogorov’s review of A.I. Kitov’s paper “Cybernetics” for the Philosophical Encyclopedia ...... 145 About some trends in the development of mathematics (a sheet from A. N. Kolmogorov’s archives). With commentary by V. M. Tikhomirov ...... 148 V. M. Tikhomirov. Some words on the subject “Kolmogorov and cybernetics” ...... 154 About the authors ...... 156 Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1

Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1 / Edited by V. Kantorovich, S. Kutateladze, and Ya. Fet.––Novosibirsk: Scientiﬁc Publ. Center of RAS, 2002. ––544 pp. + 48 pp. of photos. (In Russian). ISBN 5-7692-0502-4.

This book concerns one of the most striking pages of history of Russian science: the life and creative work of the great mathematician and economist, Nobel Prize Winner Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich. L. V. Kantorovich devoted his life to the struggle for recognition of new scientiﬁc methods of planning and organizing economy discovered by him. The only purpose he had was to help his country. This book presents a collection of autobiographical materials, memoirs, selected papers and addresses he could not publish at those times. The book is intended for a general reader interested in the history of science and the lives of outstanding people.

Preface Leonid Kantorovich is one of those brilliant scientists whose lives are inalienable from the 20th century history of Russia. One might say that Kantorovich lived two different lives in science, as a mathematician and as an economist. Kantorovich-mathematician started his studies at the age of fifteen and soon was acknowledged as a leading scientist. Kantorovich-economist was to wait for almost 20 years till his works were published to finally bring him worldwide fame. Kantorovich was born on January 19, 1912 in St. Petersburg, in a family of a doctor. He showed his talent very early. He entered the Leningrad University in 1926, being only fourteen. Having graduated in 1930, Kantorovich engaged in teaching activity and active scientific work. In 1932 he was appointed a professor at the Leningrad Institute of Engineers of Industrial Construction and a senior lecturer at the Leningrad University, his alma mater, Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1 23 where he took professorship in 1934 and the degree of a Doctor was conferred on him without a thesis defence in 1935. Kan- torovich remained associated with the Leningrad University and the Leningrad Department of the Steklov Institute till he moved to Novosibirsk in 1960. It was in Leningrad that Kantorovich achieved his main scientific results. Having started with challenging abstract problems, he had contributed greatly to theoretical mathematics already in the 1930s. Moreover, his studies of approximate calculus exerted no lesser, if not greater, influence on mathematics of that time. Functional analysis plays a special role in Kantorovich’s mathematical activity. Being a classic in this area and an author of the theory of ordered vector spaces, Kantorovich made functional analysis a natural language of computational mathematics. His article “Functional analysis and applied mathematics,” published in Uspekhi Matematicheskikh Nauk in 1948 and awarded a Stalin prize, was a milestone in his work. Its very title sounded then para- doxically, but the ideas soon became classical. Just a few years later computational mathematics seemed as impossible without functional analysis as without computers. Kantorovich coordinated a number of specific computing projects, including a nuclear studies project and a project on optimization of blanks nesting in the manufacturing industry. He realized the importance of computer technology at its very dawn and believed that this invention “will influence all human activities as greatly as did book-printing, steam engine, electricity, and radio.” Fascinated with computers, he designed one of the first systems of automatic programming and a number of new computer configurations, some of which were then put into practice. In 1957 Kantorovich was invited to the newly created Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences and was elected a Cor- responding Member of the Academy in economics and statistics. Since then his main works were devoted to economic problems. Among the few exceptions was the world-famous course of functional analysis by Kantorovich and Akilov. 24 History of Computer Science

Kantorovich’s book The Best Use of Economic Resources published in 1959 faced hostile criticism from Soviet economists and caused much debate which lasted as long as until the mid-1960s, attracting keen interest of foreign scientists. It was the time when his first works on linear programming, translated into foreign lan- guages, became famous and brought him priority and recognition in the West. In the mid-1960s recognition came to him in Russia as well: in 1964 he was elected a full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Department of Mathematics, and awarded the Lenin prize in 1965. Those were the years when he put forth much effort to implement his new ideas and methods into the economic practice. Since the end of 1950s he received numerous honorary invita- tions to international conferences on computatational mathematics, operation research, mathematical programming, econometrics, etc. News were coming from foreign academies about awarded honorary titles and membership. Nevertheless, in Russia trips abroad were repeatedly refused to him. He was allowed to go abroad for the first time only in 1975 after being awarded the Nobel prize in economics “for the contribution into the theory of optimal use of resources.” In the early 1970s Kantorovich moved to Moscow where he continued his studies in economic analysis and the attempts to achieve practical implementation of his ideas and their integration into the decision making processes in the national economy. Leonid Kantorovich passed away on April 7, 1986. He was buried at the Novodevichye cemetery in Moscow. Kantorovich possessed numerous honorary titles and awards in Russia and abroad. Many names are evaluated according to their regalia, but Kantorovich’s name itself imparts special importance to the regalia. His scientific heritage is enormous. Professor Valery Makarov, one of the nearest Kantorovich’s pupils wrote: “He is the author of first-class results in functional analysis, in the theory of functions, in computational mathematics. He has a number of great works on the theory of sets, the theory of computer pro- Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1 25 gramming, etc. He published a dozen of reputable monographs on mathematics. It seems clear that Leonid Kantorovich is a mathematician to the core. . . In reality, this is not the whole truth. The uniqueness of Kantorovich is precisely in that he is at the same time an outstanding economist, a scientist who changed fundamen- tally the understanding of economic events, the whole economic thinking, and became the founder of an original economic school.” Kantorovich is the author of more than 300 scientific works, which encompass an impressively broad range of fields, but are united by his personality as well as by the inherent integrity and mutual association of ideas. The same inner integrity of attitudes guided the life of Kan- torovich as a person and a citizen. Honest and daring in science, he also was that way in life. “It is the scientist’s duty and right to tell the truth,” said Kantorovich in his last interview. These words are not just a declaration, but a moral attitude confirmed by his whole life. As a scientist, Kantorovich did not discriminate among problems as being fundamental or applied, as related to mathematics or to humanities, as prestigious or not. He engaged in any challenging problem with unfailing interest and devotion and proved by all his activity that a real scientist can find the depths in any minor problem which bring it to the highest level of science. As a citizen he defended the truth irrespective of the opinions imposed from above and fearlessly upheld his ideas for the nation’s sake. These attitudes of Kantorovich showed up most clearly in the case of the “plywood trust” (1938) where his work on a specific problem grew into the theory that made him famous. In the classical article Mathematical Methods in the Organisation and Plan- ning of Production (1939) published as an outcome of that work, he first formulated the principles of optimization (linear programming). The article was followed by years of silence, as the usually profuse flow of his publications suddenly stopped. That silence coincided with the war period and an engagement in the problems of economy and optimization. It was during those years that he 26 History of Computer Science wrote the cited The Best Use of Economic Resources which was not published until 17 years later. Some other works written at that time could not be published and remained unknown. In this book we tried to give special attention to that hard period of Kantorovich’s life. We publish here some of his works and documents that evidence the unsuccessful efforts to convince the authorities how much benefit his discovery would bring through efficient organization of economy during the hard times of war. What prompted Kantorovich to move into economics? A clue possibly comes from his reminiscences that “the world was under the terrible threat of the brown plague, the German fascism,” “I had a clear feeling, it was the state of decision making in the economy that restricted our industrial and military power,” “I felt myself responsible, realizing that outstanding people must do something about it.” He was motivated by a feeling of civil duty rather than a scientific interest, and only that can explain the repeated attempts to put his ideas into practice and a persis- tency sometimes close to recklessness. Taking into account what economics was like in Stalin’s time, the very decision to work in that field seems dreadfully coura- geous. Economics was emasculated just after the October revolution, Marxism was proclaimed the culmination of human knowledge, and all “reactionary professors” were deported out of the country. The economic science was cut down to the level of Smith and Ricardo in Marx’s interpretation, and the scientific methodol- ogy was replaced by medieval scholasticism of “explication of the classics.” Any fresh thought was proclaimed heretical; theories of “bourgeois economists” could only be treated as “reactionary” or “apologetic.” Nobel prizes in economics did not exist; instead, “special Stalin prizes” were widely distributed to scientists: first prize––execution, second prize––prison camp, and third prize––ex- ile. Economics was one of the most dangerous professions, so that few serious scientists managed to avoid those “awards.” (Many older scientists at the Central Economico-Mathematical Institute, Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1 27 which gathered best economists of Moscow in its early days, were “winners” of these “special Stalin prizes.”) Kantorovich’s move from mathematics to economics seems especially reckless, taking into account the role mathematics played at that time. Russian mathematics at that time occupied a leading position in the world in many aspects; on the other hand, it was free from ideology as mathematicians firmly stated that their science could not be bourgeois or proletarian, idealistic or materialistic. It was relatively safe to work in mathematics, but Kantorovich, who was recognized as a classic of mathematics in his lifetime, devoted most of his activity to economics with the only aim of helping his country. The existing literature shows very little of Kantorovich’s life, or the history of his discoveries and their significance for science and the society, his struggle against ignorance and indifference, his victories and failures. The materials of this book reveal the personality of the scientist, the scope of his interests and the scale of his achievements, as well as the complex and uncompromising relations with the academic and social environment. The book is a result of a thorough investigation of voluminous archive materials, mostly from Kantorovich’s personal archive. The book also contains reminiscences of friends and colleagues, written especially for the occasion, and oral interviews we tran- scribed and verified. We wish to express our deep gratitude to many people without whom this work would have been impossible. Book 1 (this volume) comprises several parts: Kantorovich’s autobiographical materials, memoirs of friends and colleagues, and a number of his unpublished and little known articles and oral presentations. It should be noted that the papers and presentations published here can only give a general idea of his activity, since we could not include the mathematical and economic articles intended for specialists rather than for a broad range of readers. Neither can these materials give a true idea of his personal style, as they are mostly draft versions that were not perfected for publishing by 28 History of Computer Science their author. In a special section we present Kantorovich’s Nobel lecture delivered in Stockholm on December 11, 1975 and some materials related to this event. Book 2 includes the most interesting documents from the scientist’s archive as well as his vast correspondence. We hope this book will help readers to learn a lot about Leonid Kantorovich, a wonderful person, a brave citizen, and an outstanding scientist who founded new fields in mathematics, who has won the battle against ignorance and banality of the official Soviet economic science which he raised to a high level, and who was an example of selfless work for the sake of science.

V. Kantorovich, S. Kutateladze, and Ya. Fet, Editors

Contents Preface (Russian) ...... 3 Preface (English) ...... 8 I. L. V. KANTOROVICH ABOUT HIMSELF ...... 15 My path in science (1938) ...... 15 On the history of linear programming (answers to the questions of Sonja Brentjes) ...... 18 My path in science (Supposed report to the Moscow mathematical society) ...... 22 To look at the truth with open eyes ...... 76 Autobiography of Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich (1944) ...... 83 Autobiography of Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich (1967) ...... 86 Biographical card ...... 94 II. REMINISCENCES ABOUT L. V. KANTOROVICH ...... 97 Special session of the Leningrad mathematical society, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of L. V. Kantorovich ...... 97 A. G. Aganbegyan. Teacher, scientist, man ...... 115 G. P. Akilov. He aimed at invisible targets ...... 126 A. M. Vershik. L. V. Kantorovich and the linear programming . . . 130 Computations for the atomic project (interview with V. S. Vladi- mirov and V. N. Kublanovskaya) ...... 153 Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1 29

I. M. Gelfand. Leonid Kantorovich and the synthesis of two cultures ...... 161 V. A. Zalgaller. His key idea ...... 164 I. N. Kantorovich. Uncle Lyonya ...... 172 S. S. Kutateladze. Kantorovich’s spaces ...... 177 V. V. Leontiev. Kantorovich: In memoriam ...... 182 V. N. Livshits. Reminiscences about Leonid Vital’evich Kantoro- vich ...... 184 S. G. Mikhlin. Reminiscences ...... 191 G. I. Natanson. Some episodes concerning Leonid Vital’evich . . . 199 S. P. Novikov. Speech at the Novodevichie cemetery on April 10, 1986 ...... 203 T. T. Orlova.LV...... 205 N. Ya. Petrakov. Creator who could be a ﬁghter ...... 213 V. M. Tikhomirov. About Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich . . . . . 216 D. K. Faddeev. From the student’s years ...... 221 S. V. Chesnokov. Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: features of the portrait ...... 226 III. UNPUBLISHED AND LITTLE KNOWN PAPERS AND REPORTS (1937–1957) ...... 233 Introduction and Preface to the work “Functional Analysis Based on the Theory of Partially Ordered Spaces” ...... 233 On the distribution of printed production ...... 237 On some mathematical problems of economics in industry, agri- culture, and transport (Summary) ...... 250 Give new means for struggle against the hateful enemy ...... 271 On numerical methods of solving problems related to planning for best use of resources in a given area of socialist society . . . . . 273 Lecture at the Naval Technical College ...... 302 Foreword to “Economic Calculation of Best Utilization of Resour- ces” ...... 306 On interrelations between some notions with those introduced by subjective schools ...... 317 The indices of work of enterprises need to be revised ...... 375 On the plan of applying to national economy the scientiﬁc works of Leningrad division of Steklov Mathematical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences ...... 399 30 History of Computer Science

Documents presented by the Leningrad University to the USSR Council of Ministers in 1957 ...... 414 Analysis of economical planning should be raised to the proper level ...... 463 Application of mathematical methods in calculations of economical planning ...... 470 IV. NOBEL PRIZE ...... 499 Mathematics in Economics: Achievements, Obstacles, Perspectives 499 Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 2

Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: A Man and a Scientist. Vol. 2 / Edited by V. Kantorovich, S. Kutateladze, and Ya. Fet. Novosibirsk: Scientiﬁc Publ. Center of RAS, 2004.––614 pp. + 40 pp. of photos. (In Russian). ISBN 5-7692-0641-1. This book concerns one of the most striking pages of the history of Russian science: the life and creative work of a great mathematician and economist, Nobel Prize Winner Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich. L. V. Kantorovich devoted his life to struggling for recognition of the new scientiﬁc methods of the organization and planning of production which he discovered. His only dream was the prosperity of his country. In Volume 2, the most interesting documents from the scientist’s archives are presented together with some of his unpublished papers and speeches. A substantial part of the book is allotted to the documents about the recognition of Kantorovich’s achievements as well as his honorary degrees and titles. The unique correspondence of the scientist with his contemporaries is also presented. The book is intended for the wide readership interested in the history of science and the lives of outstanding personalities.

Contents Preface to Volume 1 ...... 3 Preface to Volume 2 ...... 9 I. L. V. KANTOROVICH ABOUT HIMSELF ...... 13 An Autobiography (1975) ...... 13 II. UNPUBLISHED AND LITTLE-KNOWN ARTICLES AND SPEECHES (1954–1986) ...... 21 The Meaning of Modern Computers for the Culture of the Man- kind (1954) ...... 21 The Law of Value and its Use in the National Economy of the USSR (1959) ...... 57 A Memorandum about Specialization in Mathematical-Economic Calculations in the Department of Economics of LSU (1959) . . 83 32 History of Computer Science

A Speech of L. V. Kantorovich at the Annual General Meeting of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR on March 27, 1959 . . . 91 Optimal Planning and Economic Indices (A Talk on April 4, 1960) 117 (A Report on April 5, 1960) ...... 121 An Optimal Plan and the Material Stimuli of Its Implementation (1960) ...... 149 On the Current State and Aim of the Science of Economics (1962) 195 Everyday Repair Service and Science (1967) ...... 209 Mathematics Will Help Everyone (07.14.1969) ...... 215 From L. V. Kantorovich to A. G. Kurosh (11.16.1969) ...... 218 A Reply of L. V. Kantorovich to the Objections of Professor A. G. Kurosh to the Suggestions about the Preparation of Mathe- matical Cadre ...... 219 An Interview about Oscar Lange (1965) ...... 229 A Speech about V. V. Novozhilov (1970) ...... 230 Mathematics and Economics: Interpenetration of the Two Sci- ences (L. V. Kantorovich and M. K. Gavurin, 1977) ...... 234 The Problem of the Man (1979) ...... 244 A Statement of Academician L. V. Kantorovich for the General Meeting of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR Held on March 19–21, 1986 ...... 255 III. DOCUMENTS ...... 259 A Review of the Articles by L. V. Kantorovich (G. M. Fikhtengolts, 04.16.1930) ...... 259 A Review of the Scientiﬁc and Academic Activities of L. V. Kan- torovich (G. M. Fikhtengolts and V. I. Smirnov, 11.02.1932) . . 261 An Excerpt of the Protocol of the Highest Attestation Committee (01.05.1934) ...... 262 D. Slaventator. “The Constellation of the Youth” (“Evening Red Newspaper”, Leningrad, 06.29.1934) ...... 263 “The Achievements of Young Scientists” (“TheLeningrad Pravda”, 06.15.1938) ...... 265 A Testimonial to L. V. Kantorovich (1943) ...... 266 A Review by G. M. Fikhtengolts (05.30.1946) ...... 267 An Excerpt from Direction No 356 on 02.25.1948 about the Award- ing of the Fist Prize to L. V. Kantorovich for the Article “Ap- plications of Functional Analysis in Numerical Analysis” . . . . 270 Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 2 33

A Letter by A. N. Kolmogorov to A. N. Nesmeyanov, President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR ...... 270 A Review of the L. V. Kantorovich’s Article “The Best Use of Economic Resources” (N. Lukomskiy and A. Lur’e) ...... 271 A Review of the L. V. Kantorovich’s Article “The Best Use of Economic Resources” (K. I. Klimenko) ...... 273 A Report about the Scientific Activities in 1959 of Corresponding Member of the AS of the USSR Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich 275 A Report about the Scientific Activities in 1960 of Corresponding Member of the AS of the USSR Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich 278 A Review of the Scientific Articles and Scientific Activities of Cor- responding Member of the AS of the USSR Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich (S. L. Sobolev, A. A. Lyapunov, and A. L. Vain- stein) ...... 280 A Shorthand Record of the Discussion about the Article of Cor- responding Member of the AS of the USSR L. V. Kantorovich “Mathematical Methods In Economic Analysis and Planning” . 286 A Review of the Articles by Corresponding Member of the AS of the USSR L. V. Kantorovich (V. I. Smirnov, 05.28.1962) . . . . 290 A Review of the Scientific Articles by Corresponding Member of the AS of the USSR L. V. Kantorovich (S. L. Sobolev) . . . . . 293 An Excerpt from the Shorthand Record of the Meeting of the Joint Scientific Council of the Humanities at Novosibirsk State University (June 2, 1962) ...... 296 A Memorandum to M. V. Keldysh: “The Main Obstacles on the Road to the Widespread Adoption of Optimal Planning in the National Economy” (S. L. Sobolev and L. V. Kantorovich, March, 1965) ...... 304

IV. THE STALIN PRIZE ...... 307 Functional Analysis and Applied Mathematics (1948) ...... 307 Functional Analysis: the Basic Ideas (1986) ...... 309 Functional Analysis and Computational Mathematics (with S. L. Sobolev and L. A. Lyusternik, 1956) ...... 315 A Review of the Articles by Professor L. V. Kantorovich on “Applications of Functional Analysis in Numerical Analysis” (G. M. Fikhtengolts, 1948) ...... 316 34 History of Computer Science

A Review of the Collection of the Articles by L. V. Kantorovich “Applications of Functional Analysis in Numerical Analysis” (L. A. Lyusternuk, 1948) ...... 320 V. THE LENIN PRIZE ...... 325 A Review of the Collection of the Articles on Linear Programming by Corresponding Member of the AS of the USSR L. V. Kan- torovich (B. Z. Vulikh, I. P. Natanson, D. K. Faddeev, and V. V. Novozhilov) ...... 325 Discoverers (A. Aganbegyan, A. Vainstein, and Yu. Oleinik, Febru- ary 18, 1964) ...... 328 VI. RECOGNITION OF THE PRIORITY ...... 363 Correspondence between L. V. Kantorovich, T. C. Koopmans, and other American Scientists (1956–1961) ...... 364 Notes about the Kantorovich’s Articles on Mathematical Problems in the Organization and Planning of Production (T. C. Koop- mans) ...... 382 A Review of the Book by L. V. Kantorovich “The Best Use of Economic Resources,” Moscow, 1959 (P. W. Campbell) . . . . . 384 VII. HONORED DEGREES AND TITLES ...... 387 Brussels, 1961 ...... 388 Rotterdam, 1961 ...... 389 The International Econometric Society, 1962 ...... 390 London, 1964 ...... 392 Glasgow, 1966 ...... 395 Grenoble, 1967 ...... 398 Nice, 1968 ...... 399 The American Academy of Art and Science, 1969 ...... 400 Yell, 1970 ...... 403 Munich, 1970 ...... 404 Sorbonne, 1975 ...... 405 Cambridge, 1976 ...... 406 Pennsylvania, 1976 ...... 410 India, 1978 ...... 413 Finland and the Netherlands, 1978 ...... 418 FRG and Hungary, 1979 ...... 420 San Remo, 1983 ...... 424 London, 1987 ...... 425 Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 2 35

VIII. CORRESPONDENCE OF L. V. KANTOROVICH ...... 427 1–6. From G. M. Fikhtengolts to L. V. Kantorovich (1928–1947) . . 427 7–30. Correspondence of L. V. Kantorovich with A. N. Kolmogorov and P. S. Aleksandroﬀ (1930–1959) ...... 434 31–36. From I. P. Natanson to L. V. Kantorovich (1932–1937) . . . 456 37–39. From N. N. Luzin to L. V. Kantorovich (1934–1936) . . . . 466 40. From L. V. Kantorovich to V. V. Stepanov (1934) ...... 469 41–44. From L. S. Pontryagin to L. V. Kantorovich (1934–1938) . . 470 45. From S. G. Mikhlin to L. V. Kantorovich (1935) ...... 473 46–52. From E. M. Livenson to L. V. Kantorovich (1935–1937) . . . 473 53–57. Correspondence between L. V. Kantorovich and M. Frechet (1936) ...... 480 58–61. Correspondence between L. V. Kantorovich and G. Birkhoﬀ (1936–1946) ...... 484 62–63. Correspondence between L. V. Kantorovich and S. Lefschetz (1936) ...... 488 64. From J. von Neumann to L. V. Kantorovich (1936) ...... 490 65–71. From M. G. Krein to L. V. Kantorovich (1936–1976) . . . . 491 72–75. From I. M. Gelfand to L. V. Kantorovich (1937–1938) . . . . 496 76–79. From B. Z. Vulikh to L. V. Kantorovich (1937–1964) . . . . 499 80–81. From A. A. Markov to L. V. Kantorovich (1937–1945) . . . 503 82. From K. Mandelbrojt to L. V. Kantorovich (1937) ...... 505 83–88. Correspondence between L. V. Kantorovich and I. G. Petro- vskii (1938–1961) ...... 505 89–95. From M. K. Gavurin to L. V. Kantorovich (1944–1945) . . . 508 96. From L. V. Kantorovich to A. I. Markushevich (1947) . . . . . 519 97. From L. V. Kantorovich to L. A. Lyusternik (1947) ...... 520 98–100. From V. V. Lavrov to L. V. Kantorovich (1948–1949) . . . 522 101–106. Correspondence between L. V. Kantorovich and V. A. Am- bartsumyan (1956–1957) ...... 524 107–108. From V. A. Rokhlin to L. V. Kantorovich (1957) . . . . . 531 109. From F. D. Lifshits to L. V. Kantorovich (1957) ...... 533 110–111. Correspondence between L. V. Kantorovich and Ya. P. Gerchuk (1957) ...... 534 112–114. From A. I. Katsenelinboigen to L. V. Kantorovich (1958–1966) ...... 535 115–116. Correspondence between L. V. Kantorovich and G. B. Dantzig (1958–1973) ...... 538 36 History of Computer Science

117. From V. V. Leontiev to L. V. Kantorovich (1958) ...... 539 118. From L. V. Kantorovich to L. S. Glyazer (1959) ...... 540 119–126. From V. A. Zalgaller to L. V. Kantorovich (1959–1986) . 540 127. From S. N. Bernstein to L. V. Kantorovich (1960) ...... 547 128–129. From O. K. Antonov to L. V. Kantorovich (1962–1975) . 547 130. From L. V. Kantorovich to V. V. Novozhilov (1963) ...... 548 131–167. From A. L. Vainstein to L. V. Kantorovich (1959–1970) . 549 Name Index ...... 589 Contents (English) ...... 602 Contents (Russian) ...... 607 History of Computer Science in Russia: the Scientists and Their Schools

History of Computer Science in Russia: the Scientists and Their Schools / Edited by V. Zakharov, R. Podlovchenko, and Ya. Fet.––Moscow: Nauka Publ., 2003. ––486 pp. + 24 pp. of photos. (In Russian). ISBN 5-02- 013062-1. This book is, to some extent, a continuation of the collection “Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia” published in 1998 in Novosibirsk. The scientific schools of A. I. Berg, I. S. Bruk, L. V. Kantorovich, S. A. Lebedev, A. A. Lyapunov, A. A. Markov and other famous scientists took the decisive part in the origin and development of Russian computer science. The present book is devoted to these people and their followers. The reader will find here numerous biographical essays, reminiscences, archive materials, etc. Most of the papers are published for the first time. The book is addressed to general reader interested in the history of science and the lives of outstanding people.

Preface The history of cybernetics and informatics presents one of the most dramatic and, at the same time, glorious pages of history of science in our country. To-day, this comparatively young science is of special importance. Informatics, as well as its numerous applications, shows an unusual rate of development and an extremely strong impact on the society. The new information technologies are supposed to provide full employment, eﬃcient economic activities, and high living standards. On the other side, in these new fantastic means great dangers are concealed like in some other achievements of human mind (such as atomic energy, genetics, and s. o.) In these conditions, one can realize the signiﬁcance of exploring the history of formation and development of informatics (as well as the history of science in general). This knowledge is expected to help in discovering better directions in further investigations preventing undesirable consequences. 38 History of Computer Science

The progress in science is impossible without studying its history. The historic and biographical literature has a strong educational and ethical impact. Publishing of such literature become presently especially important because history of science is being introduced to the university curriculum. We expect that the present collection can serve these purposes. This book is a sequel of the series of our publications on history of Russian Computer Science. In 1998 the “Essays on the His- tory of Computer Science in Russia”1 were published. Keeping on our research in this field we have prepared and published several other books: “Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov”2, “Kolmogorov and Cybernetics”3, “Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1”4. In the present book we tried to concentrate on the origin and evolution of scientific schools. Evidently, the decisive part in the development of any science belongs to people, to distinguished scientists who suggest new ideas, struggle for the recognition of these ideas, create scientific schools, and teach their young followers. As a rule, they are noble people combining brilliant creative talents with highest morals and civic courage. The renowned academician and admiral Axel Ivanovich Berg, the first Chairman of the Scientific council on cybernetics, wrote: “Admiring outstanding personalities is a source of a natural wish to follow their example”. In the history of Russian informatics, in its beginning and its achievements the decisive part belonged the schools of A. I. Berg,

1Essays on the History of Computer Science in Russia / Edited by D. Pospelov and Ya. Fet. –– Novosibirsk: Scientific Publ. Center of RAS, 1998, 664 pp. (In Russian). 2Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov / Edited by N. Lyapunova and Ya. Fet. –– Novosibirsk: Scientific Publ. Center of RAS, 2001, 524 pp. (In Russian). 3Kolmogorov and Cybernetics / Edited by D. Pospelov and Ya. Fet. –– Novosibirsk: Scientific Publ. Center of RAS, 2001, 159 pp. (In Russian). 4Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich: a Man and a Scientist. Vol. 1 / Edited by V. Kantorovich, S. Kutateladze, and Ya. Fet. ––Novosibirsk: Scientific Publ. Center of RAS, 2002, 544 pp. (In Russian). History of Computer Science in Russia 39

I. S. Bruk, L. V. Kantorovich, S. A. Lebedev, A. A. Lyapunov, A. A. Markov and other outstanding scientists. Working on this book we tried to describe each of its heroes as completely as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes the sources of data on their life and activities are too scanty. This concerns even some of the most renowned scientists. On the other hand, this book does not contain any ﬁctions. The materials and reminiscences published here present authentic documents of the epoch. Some of them have been published before in rare, inaccessible to-day editions. The other were discovered in the archives of the participants of events, or written according to the witnesses of these events, the relatives, the colleagues, the pupils of our principal heroes. During the work on this book, we had many voluntary and attentive helpers. We express our gratitude to all of them. We consider as well as our pleasant duty to express our thanks to the editor-in-chief of this book, academician A. S. Alekseev, and to the Chairman of the Editorial board academician I. M. Makarov. Without their participation and collaboration the book could not be published. We hope that this book will be useful not only to specialists and students but also to general readers interested in the history of science.

V. N. Zakharov, R. I. Podlovchenko, and Ya. I. Fet, Editors 40 History of Computer Science

Contents Preface (Russian) ...... 3 Preface (English) ...... 5 I. AT THE FOUNDATIONS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE . . . . . 7 Axel Ivanovich BERG ...... 9 A. I. Berg. The major problems of cybernetics (April 10, 1959) . . 9 D. A. Pospelov. Axel Ivanovich Berg ...... 15 E. V. Markova. The pilot of Soviet radio-electronics and cybernetics ...... 20 L. P. Kraizmer. A Man with a capital letter ...... 29 V. V. Nalimov. Axel Ivanovich as a dissident of science ...... 33 Isaak Semenovich BRUK ...... 38 Isaak Semenovich Bruk ...... 38 Leonid Vital’evich KANTOROVICH ...... 46 V. L. Kantorovich. Leonid Vital’evich Kantorovich ...... 46 The traits of the portrait ...... 51 A. M. Vershik. Address to the Session of Leningrad mathematical society dedicated to the memory of L. V. Kantorovich . . . . . 52 L. Kantorovich. Mathematical methods ––to economics ...... 56 I. Kryazhev, S. Pevzner. A mathematician came to the workshop . 60 Sergey Alexeevich LEBEDEV ...... 64 Sergey Alexeevich Lebedev ...... 64 S. A. Lebedev. The electronic computing machine ...... 70 Report of the TASS agency ...... 73 L. N. Korolev. From the reminiscences...... 74 Alexey Andreevich LYAPUNOV ...... 77 Alexey Andreevich Lyapunov ...... 77 A. A. Lyapunov. On the role of mathematics in modern human culture ...... 88 S. P. Kapitza. Reminiscences on cybernetics and its creators . . . . 103 Andrey Andreevich MARKOV ...... 110 B. A. Kushner. Markov and Bishop ...... 110 History of Computer Science in Russia 41

II. CYBERNETICS, NUMERICAL MATHEMATICS, PROGRAMMING ...... 127 MOSCOW ...... 129 Michail Alexandrovich GAVRILOV ...... 129 O. P. Kuznetsov. Michail Alexandrovich Gavrilov ...... 129 D. A. Pospelov. MAG’s School ...... 144 V. M. Ostianu. Reminiscences on Professor M. A. Gavrilov . . . . . 163 Yuriy Ivanovich ZHURAVLEV ...... 167 Yuriy Ivanovich Zhuravlev ...... 167 Yu. I. Zhuravlev. On my teacher ...... 171 Nikolay Andreevich KRINITSKIY ...... 182 R. I. Podlovchenko. Nikolay Andreevich Krinitskiy ...... 182 N. A. Krinitskiy. The main stages of development of computer technology and programming methods ...... 183 Vassiliy Vassil’evich NALIMOV ...... 193 Zh. A. Drogalina. Vassiliy Vassil’evich Nalimov: a man, a scientist, a philosopher ...... 193 E. V. Markova. V. V. Nalimov’s scientiﬁc schools and invisible col- leges (chemical cybernetics, mathematical theory of experi- ments) ...... 211 Yu. V. Granovskiy. V. V. Nalimov’s scientometric school ...... 229 Sergey Vsevolodovich YABLONSKIY ...... 241 V. B. Alekseev. Sergey Vsevolodovich Yablonskiy ...... 241 E. V. Yablonskiy. Some episodes from Sergey Vsevolodovich Yab- lonskiy’s life ...... 245 LENINGRAD ...... 262 O. K. Daugavet. Programmers’ seminar in Leningrad ...... 262 S. S. Lavrov. Scientiﬁc autobiography ...... 264 S. S. Lavrov. The Leningrad school of programming ...... 274 G. S. Tseytin. On professionalism in programming ...... 278 NOVOSIBIRSK ...... 289 Andrey Petrovich ERSHOV ...... 289 A. G. Marchuk. Introduction ...... 289 42 History of Computer Science

A. P. Ershov. Aesthetics and the human factor in programming . . 291 A. P. Ershov. Poems: “If” (from R. Kipling), “A dream”, “A path in Akademgorodok” ...... 299 Reminiscences on Andrey Petrovich (A. A. Bers, E. A. Zhogolev, L. L. Zmievskaya, S. S. Lavrov, E. Z. Lyubimskiy) ...... 301 I. S. Kovalskiy. Informatics ––the cause of life ...... 314 N. A. Cheremnykh. The archives of Andrey Petrovich Ershov . . . 319 Some documents from A. P. Ershov’s archives ...... 321 From materials of the International Symposium “Algorithms in Modern Mathematics and its Applications” (Urgench, Septem- ber 16–22, 1979) ...... 330 A. P. Ershov, D. E. Knuth. Editor’s Preface ...... 330 The Programme of the Symposium ...... 333 A. P. Ershov. Introduction for the organizers ...... 335 SIBERIAN INFORMATICS ...... 340 V. P. Il’in. Siberian informatics: the schools of G. I. Marchuk, A. P. Ershov, N. N. Yanenko ...... 340 YEREVAN ...... 364 S. A. Nigiyan. On the Yerevan school of programming ...... 364 R. I. Podlovchenko. Reminiscences on the days spent as A. A. Lya- punov’s pupil ...... 370 TAGANROG ...... 376 A. V. Kaliaev. The Taganrog scientiﬁc school in computer technology 376

III. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ...... 403 V. N. Zakharov, Ya. I. Fet. Introduction ...... 405 D. A. Pospelov. History of artiﬁcial intelligence till the middle of the 80’s ...... 407 D. A. Pospelov, V. F. Khoroshevskiy. The Working Group WG-18 . 430 D. A. Pospelov, V. F. Khoroshevskiy. May the miracle be repeated? (The history of WG-22) ...... 443 D. A. Pospelov. Modest Georgievich Haase-Rapoport ...... 456 About the authors ...... 460 Index ...... 468 Contents (In Russian) ...... 480 Contents (in English) ...... 483 From the History of Cybernetics

From the History of Cybernetics / Edited by Ya. Fet. –– Novosibirsk: “Geo” Academic Publishers, 2006.––301 pp.(In Russian). ISBN 5-9747-0038-4. The characters and authors of the presented essays are distinguished scientists of various countries and pioneers of cybernetics. They share their reminiscences with the reader, and express their opinions on the past, present, and future of cybernetics and informatics. The book is addressed to general readers interested in the history of science and the lives of remarkable people.

Preface After the collection “Essays on the History. . . ”1 was published, we often heard (and read) comments like, “why do you use the word informatics in your title while the book really talks about cybernetics?”2. Similar questions might be raised about this book, as well. Perhaps this is not an appropriate occasion to engage in terminological exercises. Nevertheless, it may be worthwhile to cite an opinion of a qualified person: “The fact that these days we refer mostly to informatics rather than cybernetics has no more significance than talking about an airplane instead of an aircraft. However, if we give these two words some thought, we will realize that this terminological identity un- derscores the function of cybernetics as the source discipline for informatics”. It was said in 1987 by one of the creators of Russian informatics, Andrey Ershov. Apropos, he was at that time the Chairman of the Scientific Council on Cybernetics.

1Essays on the History of Informatics in Russia / Edited by D. Pospelov and Ya. Fet. ––Novosibirsk: Scientiﬁc Publ. Center of RAS, 1998. ––664 pp. (In Russian). 2A. P. Ershov. Academician A.I. Berg on cybernetics and the perestroika in 1959 / Microprocessor devices and systems, 1987, No. 3, p. 3. (In Russian). 44 History of Computer Science

The intention of the present collection is to familiarize the readers with the opinions of well-known scientists about the past, present and future of cybernetics and its outgrowth, informatics. The book also presents episodes from biographies of several distinguished Russian and foreign scientists who made great contri- butions to the current extraordinary success of information technologies. The beginning of cybernetics was associated with the appearance in 1948 of the famous Norbert Wiener’s book “Cybernetics”. The rapid development of this new science together with the ac- companying technological advancement, especially in microelec- tronics, have radically changed the whole course of history of the mankind. The 1960s and 1970s were marked by the prosperity of cybernetic movement in our country. In a sense, it was a wonderful, romantic time. In Moscow, the Scientific Council on Cybernetics was working, enthusiastically and fruitfully, under the leadership of Axel Berg. The Novosibirsk Akademgorodok became, to some extent, the capital of cybernetic studies. This was the home of A. Lyapunov, the leader of Russian computer science, and other illustrious thinkers. The materials gathered in this book call to mind the close contacts, both creative and friendly, between our scientists and their foreign colleagues. Authentic science cannot grow in isolation. The brilliant ideas that form the basis of every science, know no borders. Develop- ment of those ideas requires co-operative work of scientists from various countries. It is well known that the Soviet government put all possible obstacles in the way of international contacts. Nevertheless, in September of 1975, due to the fearless efforts of Axel Berg, Germogen Pospelov, and Dmitry Pospelov, the 4th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence was organized in Tbilisi (Georgia). The Conference was a remarkable success. Here, distinguished foreign scientists could, for the first time, meet their From the History of Cybernetics 45

Russian colleagues and discuss the most important problems of computer science. In the autumn of 1979, Andrey Ershov succeeded in conduct- ing an International Symposium on “Algorithms in Modern Math- ematics and Computer Science” in Urgench (Uzbekistan). Along with Soviet scientists, ﬁfteen prominent computer experts, the pioneers of cybernetical research from Europe and the United States took part in this unprecedented event. A substantial part of the papers have been especially prepared by the authors at our request for the purpose of publishing them in this book. Other materials are being reprinted, with the kind permission of authors and publishers, from hardly accessible out- of-print sources. While preparing this collection for publication, we received great assistance from many interested colleagues. We would like to express our deep gratitude to all of them. We hope that this book will be fascinating and useful to those readers who are inspired by the history of science and the lives of outstanding people.

Ya. Fet 46 History of Computer Science

Contents Foreword (Russian) ...... 3 Foreword (English) ...... 5 V. M. Tikhomirov. Cybernetics, Wiener, Kolmogorov ...... 7 Norbert Wiener. Cybernetics (The Encyclopedia Americana, 1961, Vol. 8, p. 351–352) ...... 12 A. N. Kolmogorov. Cybernetics (Big Soviet Encyclopedia, 1958, Vol. 51, p. 149–151) ...... 14 P. R. Masani. Cybernetics (Chapter 18 of “Norbert Wiener. 1894–1964”) ...... 20 N. Wiener. Cybernetics and Society ...... 33 N. Wiener. Answers to the Questions (Moscow, Polytekhnical Mu- seum, June 1960 .) ...... 42 D. Jerison, D.W. Stroock. Norbert Wiener ...... 55 E. Wigner. John von Neumann ...... 80 Ya. M. Barzdin, R. V. Freivald. Thoughts on Automata and Life (Fragment of the Article “Kolmogorov and Cybernetics”) . . . 86 Donald Knuth. Computer Programming as an Art (Turing Award Lecture, 1974) ...... 88 Donald Knuth. Personal Memories of Andrey Ershov ...... 104 Antony Hoare. Stories From a Life in Interesting Times ...... 107 Donald Michie. Alan Turing and the Child-Machine Project . . . . 141 B. A. Kushner. The Teacher (To the Centennial of Andrey An- dreevich Markov, Jr.) ...... 163 B. A. Kushner. Sofja Alexandrovna Janovskaja: a few reminiscences ...... 226 G. S. Tseytin. Is Mathematics a Branch of Computer Science? . . 238 V. I. Fedorov. Physiology and Cybernetics: the History of Mutual Penetration of Sciences ...... 244 A. I. Fet. Konrad Lorentz and Cybernetics ...... 270 V. P. Zinchenko. Emotion and Intelligence in the Game ...... 284 About the Authors ...... 290 Index ...... 294 Contents (English) ...... 300 Contents (Russian) ...... 301 Axel Ivanovich Berg (1893–1979)

Axel Ivanovich Berg (1893–1979) / Edited by Ya. Fet.––Moscow: Nauka Publ., 2007. ––518 pp. + 32 pp. of photos. (In Russian). ISBN 978-5-02-035020-5.

The book is dedicated to the life and creative work of the outstanding Russian scientist Axel Ivanovich Berg. A full Admiral and a Member of the Academy of Sciences, in 1959 he created the Scientific Council on Cybernetics and became its President. For 20 years, due to A. I. Berg’s talent and energy, the Cybernetics Council was our country’s central venue for realization of important theoretical and applied tasks in different branches of cybernetics. The unique materials published in this book tell the story of the scientist’s life. The most important events of his biography are fixed in documents, articles and reports. Numerous recollections by his contemporaries portray the brilliant and noble figure of Axel Berg. The book is addressed to the general reader interested in the history of science and the lives of great scientists.

Preface It is known that history is made by people, by personalities. The history of science is made by the activity of peculiar people whom the forces of nature and chance endowed with special features and abilities. Axel Ivanovich Berg was a unique man. A full admiral and a member of the Academy of Sciences, in 1959 he created the Scien- tific Council on Cybernetics and become the head of the Council. The work of the Council and of Berg himself in 1960s and 1970s did not just lead to the vigorous and successful development of a host of scientific and technological areas. This work was a kind of social movement, which, in some sense, opposed the stagnant tendencies of those times. For 20 years, the Cybernetics Council was our country’s focal point for realization of important theoretical and applied tasks in 48 History of Computer Science different branches of cybernetics. A.I. Berg interpreted the term “cybernetics” broadly. He clearly formulated the main objective of cybernetics as follows: “The increase in the efficiency of man’s work in all cases where he needs to perform some control”. One can say with certainty that the research in cybernetics and informatics in Russia developed due to the energy, scientific stature, and fascinating personality of Axel Ivanovich Berg. Under the leadership of A.I. Berg, the Cybernetics Council brought together, on a voluntary basis, a great number of scientists from various Soviet scientific and educational institutions. Dur- ing the 60s and 70s, sixteen Sections were enthusiastically working within the Council: Mathematical problems of cybernetics; Tech- nical cybernetics; Mathematical theory of experimental design, Artificial intelligence, and others. The Sections were headed by leading Soviet scientists from the respective fields. The Council was the organizer of numerous scientific conferences, seminars, and schools. Obviously, the influence of A. I. Berg’s ideas and principles continues today, when the lives of each of us, and of our society as a whole, have become inconceivable without the application of the methods and practices of data handling that have sprung up from the soil prepared by cybernetics. Careful studying of the life and work of scientists such as A. I. Berg, as well as creation of fundamental biographical literature about them, is our duty in the pursuit of preservation of the memory of these remarkable people and the scientific and cultural heritage of our country. The life of Axel Ivanovich Berg, his generosity, his unselfish devotion to science, are worthy of deeply focused interest. There exists some literature on A. I. Berg published in the past: the book “Axel Berg, a Man of the XX Century” (1971) by Irina Radunskaya, the collection “The Way Toward the Great Science: Academician Axel Berg” (1988), the brochure “Academician Axel Ivanovich Berg” (1993), and some articles in various editions. In our opinion, these publications are far from being comprehensive, Axel Ivanovich Berg.(1893–1979) 49 and do not sufficiently make use of historical materials and documents. This book is the result of long and multifaceted work of its compilers, who also wrote several of its articles. A number of scientists working in various branches of informatics also share their recollections of Axel Berg with the readers. During the preparation of this book, we were able to find unique archival materials that shed new light upon certain events in the personal and creative biography of A. I. Berg. The collection opens with an introductory article by academician I. M. Makarov. The contents of the book are presented in five Chapters: Chapter 1. A. I. Berg: the Course of Life. Chapter 2. Reminiscing about Axel Ivanovich Berg. Chapter 3. Academician Berg Speaking and Writing. Chapter 4. From the Scientific Diaries of A.I. Berg. Chapter 5. Through the Words of Archival Documents. Creation of literature about the history of science would be impossible without the help of many people who took part in that history. An important role in preparing this book was played by a meeting commemorating the 110th anniversary of the birth of Axel Ivanovich. The meeting was organized in December of 2003 by the Cybernetics Chapter of the Moscow House of Scientists. The recollections of our colleagues who spoke at that event comprise the bulk of Chapter 2 of this book. The book is illustrated with unique historical photos from the archives of A. I. Berg as well as from other private collections. The book is intended for the general reader interested in the history of science and the culture of our country. During the work on this book, we received great assistance from many volunteers. We send them our heartfelt gratitude.

Ya. Fet, E. Markova, Yu. Erofeev, Yu. Granovsky 50 History of Computer Science

Contents Foreword ...... 3 I. M. Makarov. A. I. Berg and the contemporary science ...... 6 Chapter 1. The course of life ...... 17 B. D. Sergievskiy. Academician A. I. Berg ...... 17 Yu. N. Erofeev. From radio communications to radiolocation . . . . 30 A. I. Berg’s service in the Navy ...... 30 Axel Ivanovich Berg under investigation ...... 40 A. I. Berg and the Radiolocation Council ...... 58 E. V. Markova. The cybernetic period of academician Berg’s creative life ...... 75 Chapter 2. Reminiscing about Axel Ivanovich Berg . . . . 135 E. A. Alexandrov. A scholar, a scientist, a person ...... 135 M. A. Berg. Recollections of my father ...... 139 B. V. Biryukov. A reflection of Russia’s fate ...... 164 L. S. Bolotova. Young scientists and the young science in the 70s . 191 Yu. V. Granovskiy. Academician A. I. Berg and the new paradigm in the experimental design ...... 202 N. F. Danovsky. The squabble at the distant approaches ...... 211 Vyach. Vs. Ivanov. Academician A. I. Berg and the development of structural linguistics and semiotics in the USSR ...... 219 A. V. Kaukin The meeting with A. I. Berg displayed me the way in my life ...... 239 M. V. Kokurina. Recollection ...... 242 L. P. Kraizmer. A Man with the capital “M” ...... 244 E. V. Markova. Some sketches to the portrait of A. I. Berg . . . . . 248 S. S. Maschan. In the Scientific Council on Cybernetics ...... 279 V. V. Nalimov. Axel Ivanovich as a scientific dissident ...... 292 A. V. Netushil. Reminiscing about Axel Ivanovich ...... 297 D. A. Pospelov. Axel Ivanovich Berg ...... 300 S. I. Samoilenko. My acquaintance with Axel Ivanovich ...... 306 V. A. Uspensky. An academician, a hero...... 308 D. I. Shapiro. Reminiscing about Axel Ivanovich Berg and the Council on Cybernetics ...... 317 V. N. Yagodinskiy. My meetings with A. I. Berg ...... 322 Axel Ivanovich Berg.(1893–1979) 51

Chapter 3. Academician Berg speaking and writing . . . . 327 The major problems of cybernetics ...... 327 A science of unlimited potential ...... 334 The goals, the problems, and the contents of cybernetics (the principal propositions) ...... 345 Foreword to the 1st volume of the collection “Cybernetics –– to serve the cause of communism” (fragments) ...... 349 Address to the Session of the Presidium of USSR Academy of Sciences, 24.06.1960 (shorthand record) ...... 354 Reliability and its influence on technological progress (abridged shorthand record of a paper read at the Palace of Unions, 29.09.1960) ...... 358 Economics and mathematics (Economic Newspaper, 16.10.1961, No. 11, p. 31) ...... 367 Cybernetics and the scientific and technological progress (address to the General meeting of the Biological Branch of USSR Academy of Sciences, April 03, 1962) ...... 372 Address to the Session of the Presidium of USSR Academy of Sciences, 28.05.1963 (shorthand record) ...... 387 Cybernetics and education (a radio lecture, 20.08.1964) ...... 389 Scientific Council on Cybernetics as the organizer of theoretical and applied cybernetic studies (report at the opening of the Session of the Scientific Council on Cybernetics, dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Revolution, November 1977) . . . . 394 The future of science and G. Thompson’s book ...... 398 Chapter 4. From the “Scientific Diaries” of A. I. Berg . . . 403 Cybernetics. Control. Regulation ...... 403 Electronics and Cybernetics ...... 418 Brain. Thought. Consciousness ...... 425 Chapter 5. Through the Words of Archival Documents . . 431 Yu. V. Granovskiy. A. I. Berg’s collection in the Archives of Rus- sian Academy of Sciences ...... 495 About the authors ...... 502 Index ...... 507 Contents (in Russian) ...... 515