In Saratov, there has started the 22nd International Saratov Winter School entitled Modern Issues of the Theory of Functions and Their Applications. The conference is organised by Saratov State University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The conference was opened by Professor of the Department of Differential Equations and Mathematical Economics August Khromov. He has been the organiser of the scientific forum since 1994. ‘Any gathering of people is a big event. There is an exchange of views, and ways of further cooperation are outlined. The winter school is of great importance for Saratov and Russian science in general, the professor said.

The chair of the conference organising committee, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Boris Kashin recalled that the 2024 conference was dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences. ‘The Russian Academy of Sciences has had a great influence on the development of mathematics and the theory of functions in particular. The Academy of Sciences played a major role in bringing the Soviet science to the forefront,’ he noted. Boris Kashin drew attention to the contribution of leading Russian scientists to the development of mathematics.

The participants were welcomed by Vice-Rector for Research and Digital Development, SSU, Alexei Koronovskii. ‘Over the years, the Saratov Winter School, Modern Issues of the Theory of Functions and Their Applications, has become a good tradition of our university, one of the fundamental conferences. In the era of remote technologies, it is especially valuable to discuss modern scientific issues face-to-face,’ he pointed out.

Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics, SSU, Andrei Zakharov congratulated his colleagues on the opening of the conference and wished them fruitful work.

The opening ceremony of the school continued with the plenary session. Andrei Zakharov and Sergei Sidorov made a report The formation of the Saratov Mathematical School: historical notes on the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Andrei Zakharov recalled the history of the establishment of the Academy of Sciences, Saratov State University and the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, commented on the studies of such scientists as Vladimir Zyornov, Vladimir Golubev, and Ivan Privalov.

Sergei Sidorov drew attention to the biography, research and organisational affairs of Gavriil Khvorostin, who headed Saratov State University in 1935-1937. He spoke about the period when Leningrad State University had stayed at Saratov State University, the establishment of the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics and the Computing Centre. The scientist noted that the Saratov Winter School Modern Issues of the Theory of Functions and Their Applications is a wonderful example of scientific cooperation between Saratov State University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, and the Steklov Mathematical Institute of the RAS.

In his lecture, Professor Vladimir Temlyakov highlighted the main issues related to the discretisation of continuous characteristics of functions useful in applications. Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Aptekarev spoke ‘about the issues of extending the measure to Hermitian matrices and generalisations of orthogonal point processes that have not been previously discussed at the Saratov Winter School’.

The 22nd Saratov Winter School Modern Issues of the Theory of Functions and Their Applications will continue until January 31. Read the programme here.

The conference is held with the financial support of the Russian Ministry of Higher Education and Science (a grant for the establishment and development of the WCMC MIAS), as well as with the organisational support of the Education. Quality. Industry Research Centre.