Victor Zalgaller

{{Short description|Russian-Israeli mathematician (1920–2020)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Victor Zalgaller

| honorific_prefix =

| image = Victor Abramovich Zalgaller 2006 09 14.jpeg

| alt =

| caption = V. A. Zalgaller, Rehovot, Israel, Sep. 2006

| native_name = Виктор Абрамович Залгаллер

| native_name_lang = ru

| birth_name = Victor Abramovich Zalgaller

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1920|12|25}}

| birth_place = Parfino, Novgorod, Russian SFSR

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2020|10|2|1920|12|25}}

| death_place = Israel

| nationality = Russian-Israeli

| fields = Mathematics

| workplaces = Leningrad State University, Steklov Institute of Mathematics, Saint Petersburg Lyceum 239

| alma_mater = Leningrad State University

| doctoral_advisor = Aleksandr Aleksandrov
Leonid Kantorovich

| known_for = Convex polyhedra, linear and dynamic programming, isoperimetry, differential geometry

| notable_works = Geometric Inequalities (with Yu. Burago)

| occupation = Mathematician, teacher

}}

Victor (Viktor) Abramovich Zalgaller ({{langx|he|ויקטור אבּרמוביץ' זלגלר}}; {{langx|ru|Виктор Абрамович Залгаллер}}; 25 December 1920 – 2 October 2020) was a Russian-Israeli mathematician in the fields of geometry and optimization. He is best known for the results he achieved on convex polyhedra, linear and dynamic programming, isoperimetry, and differential geometry.

Biography

Zalgaller was born in Parfino, Novgorod Governorate on 25 December 1920.{{cite web|url=http://www.vestnik.com/issues/2001/0522/win/zalgaller.htm|title=Виктор Залгаллер (Израиль)|website=Vestnik|access-date=3 October 2020|language=ru}} In 1936, he was one of the winners of the Leningrad Mathematics Olympiads for high school students. He started his studies at the Leningrad State University, however, World War II intervened in 1941, and Zalgaller joined the Red Army. He took part in the defence of Leningrad, and in 1945 marched into Germany.{{cite web|url=https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/math-computer-science/life-begins-80|title=Life Begins at 80|website=Weizmann Institute of Science|date=27 September 2012|access-date=3 October 2020}}

He worked as a teacher at the Saint Petersburg Lyceum 239, and received his 1963{{cite web|url=https://mathgenealogy.org/id.php?id=79075|title=Victor Abramovich Zalgaller|website=Math Genealogy|access-date=3 October 2020}} doctoral dissertation on polyhedra with the aid of his high school students who wrote the computer programs for the calculation.

Zalgaller did his early work under direction of Aleksandr Aleksandrov and Leonid Kantorovich. He wrote joint monographs with both of them. His later monograph Geometric Inequalities (joint with Yuri Burago) is still the main reference in the field.

Zalgaller lived in Saint Petersburg most of his life, having studied and worked at the Leningrad State University and the Steklov Institute of Mathematics (Saint Petersburg branch).

In 1999, he immigrated to Israel. Zalgaller died on 2 October 2020 at the age of 99.{{cite web|url=http://www.239.ru/mainnews/skonchalsya-vazalgaller-0|title=Скончался В.А.Залгаллер|website=Saint Petersburg Lyceum 239|access-date=3 October 2020|language=ru}}

References

{{commons category|Victor Zalgaller}}

  • V. A. Aleksandrov, et al. Viktor Abramovich Zalgaller (on his 80th birthday), Russian Mathematical Surveys, Vol. 56 (2001), 1013–1014 (see [http://www.math.nsc.ru/~vaalex/papers/Zalgaller80.ps here] for a Russian version).
  • Yu. D. Burago, et al. Viktor Abramovich Zalgaller (on his 80th birthday), J. Math. Sci. (N. Y.) J. Math. Sci. (N.Y.) Vol. 119 (2004), 129–132 (see [https://ftp.pdmi.ras.ru/pub/publicat/znsl/v280/p007.ps.gz here] for a Russian version).
  • M. Z. Solomyak, A few words about Viktor Abramovich Zalgaller, J. Math. Sci. (N.Y.) Vol. 119 (2004), 138–140.
  • S. S. Kutateladze, [http://www.math.nsc.ru/LBRT/g2/english/ssk/zalgaller_e.html A Tribute to the Philanthropist and Geometer].
  • List of papers of V. A. Zalgaller, available [https://ftp.pdmi.ras.ru/pub/publicat/znsl/v280/p014.ps.gz here] (mostly in Russian).
  • {{cite book

| last=Zalgaller

| first=Victor

| author2=Burago, Yuri

| title=Geometric Inequalities

| url=https://archive.org/details/geometricinequal0000bura

| url-access=registration

| date=February 1988

| publisher=Springer Verlag

| isbn = 3-540-13615-0

| page=356pp

}}