Soviet Marks Tenth Year of Savant’s Death

Scientists joined with the public in honoring the memory of Pawel Urison, former Moscow University professor, at a memorial meeting at the Conference Hall of the Moscow Mathematical Society. The meeting marked the tenth anniversary of the death of the brilliant young Jewish scholar.

Professor Urison was drowned in 1924 bathing in the sea while staying at a village in Brittany. He was then twenty-six years old, but was already looked upon as one of the best mathematicians in the Soviet Union.

Professor Luzin, speaking on behalf of the academy said that Urison had, like Einstein, distinguished himself by his absolute independence of scientific conception.

“He was a genius in mathematics, the first man in his field in the Soviet countries, and one of the first in all Europe,” Professor Luzin said. “He was hardly more than twenty years of age when he had made most important discoveries in the field of mathematics and when he had died he was not only the greatest mathematician in the Soviet countries, but he was known far beyond the Soviet frontiers, all over the world. Urison had only lived twenty-six years, but his short life was full of dazzling achievements in the world of science.”

SOLVED PERPLEXING THEORY

Professor Alexandrov, president of the Moscow Mathematical Society, said that Urison had radically solved the problem of the dimensional theory. It was impossible now for any one in mathematics or philosophy to ignore the work which Urison had done. In the ten years since his death his scientific theories had been remarkably confirmed and were now crystal clear and his contribution to science, he said, belongs to those achievements that are counted immortal, and his name will live as long as mathematics.

Professor Stepanoff delivered a lecture on Urison’s work in the field of analysis of the functional theory. Professor Lusternik delivered a lecture on other branches of Professor Urison’s scientific work. The mathematicians of Moscow, he said, are working to the present day according to the basic ideas of Urison.

Besides his published works Professor Urison left a large number of manuscript works. Thirty-four of his scientific works have already been published.