Boris Grigoryevich Galerkin (Russian: Бори́с Григо́рьевич Галёркин, surname more accurately romanized as Galyorkin; March 4 [O.S. February 20, 1871] 1871 – July 12, 1945), born in Polozk, Belarus, was a mathematician and an engineer. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages In Linguistics, romanization (or latinization, also spelled romanisation or latinisation) is the representation of a Word or Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Polotsk ( Polatsk, По́лацк Полоцк Polockas Połock is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and research is the field of Mathematics. An engineer is a person professionally engaged in a field of Engineering.
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Biography
Early days
Galerkin was born on March 4 [O.S. February 20, 1871] 1871 in Polotsk, Russia, now part of Belarus. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Polotsk ( Polatsk, По́лацк Полоцк Polockas Połock is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina river Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east His parents owned a house in the town, but the homecraft they made did not bring enough money, so at the age of 12, Boris started working as calligrapher in the court. Calligraphy (from Greek kallos "beauty" + graphẽ "writing" is the art of writing (Mediavilla 1996 17 He had finished school in Polotsk, but still needed the exams from an additional year which granted him the right to continue education at a higher level. He passed those in Minsk in 1893, as an external student. Minsk (Мінск mʲinsk Минск mʲinsk is the Capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers The same year he was enrolled at the St. Petersburg Technological Institute, at the mechanics department. Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology (Technical University (Санкт-Петербургский Технологический Институт (Технический Due to the lack of funds Boris Grigoryevich had to combine studying at the institute with working as a draftsman and giving private lessons.
Political activities and imprisonment
Like many other students/technologists, he was involved in political activities, and joined the social-democratic group. In 1899, the year of graduating from the institute, he became a member of the Russian Social-Democratic Party (future Communist Party). The Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party, or RSDLP ( Росси́йская Социа́л-Демократи́ческая Рабо́чая A Political party described as a communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of Communism through a communist form of This provides a plausible explanation for his frequent job changes. The first three years after graduation Boris Grigoryevich was an engineer at the Russian Mechanical and Steam-locomotive Union factory in Kharkov, while simultaneously teaching workers at special courses. Kharkiv or Kharkov (Харків Харьков is the second largest city in Ukraine. From the end of 1903 he was an engineer on the construction of the China Far East Railway, half a year later he became the technical head at the 'North mechanical and boiler factory' . The Chinese Eastern Railway or CER (also known as the Chinese Far East Railway) was a Railway in northeastern China ( Manchuria) He participated in organizing the Union of Engineers in St. Petersburg and, in 1905 he was arrested for organizing a strike among the engineers. In 1906, Boris Grigoryevich became a member of the Social-Democratic Party's St. Petersburg Committee and did not work anywhere else.
On August 5 [O.S. July 23] 1906 the police surrounded his house No. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting 13 in Alexeyevskaya Street, not far from Udelnaya railway station and arrested almost everyone of the Committee members. On March 26 [O.S. March 13] 1907, the St. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Petersburg Court Chamber passed a sentence, which was surprisingly light, taken into account that at the moment of arrest some of the Committee members fired at policemen. One of the 19 Committee members was imprisoned for two years, 8, including B. G. Galerkin (or "Zakhar", according to his underground nickname) - for 1. 5 years, others were discharged.
In prison, known under the name "Kresty", Boris Grigoryevich has lost interest to revolutionary activities and devoted himself to science and engineering. Prison conditions of that time were giving such opportunities. And what is more, in his work-book it is written that Boris Grigoryevich worked as an engineer at designing and constructing the boiler power plant from 1907. This fact was not explained, and Boris Grigoryevich did not like to remind others about his revolutionary youth. Later, in Soviet questionnaires he would not give clear answers on the persistent questions about membership in different parties. Of course, he was familiar with the fate of old Party members, but the main reason for it was that he had been elected to the Committee from the Mensheviks (a Party group with non-radical views, which members later were accused of contra-revolutionary activities and repressed). The Mensheviks (Minority (Меньшевик) were a faction of the Russian Revolutionary movement that emerged in 1903 after a dispute between Vladimir Galerkin's life could become the price if this fact became known to the public.
Academic career
Galerkin was discharged from prison in the end of 1908. In March, he became a teacher at the Saint Petersburg Polytechnical Institute, at the same year his first scientific work was published by the institutes "Transactions". Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University (Санкт-Петербургский Государственный Политехнический Университет abbreviated The article was titled "A theory of longitudinal curving and an experience of longitudinal curving theory application to many-storied frames, frames with rigid junctions and frame systems". The length of the title was indicative of the length of the work itself, 130 pages. It was written in the "Kresty" prison. In the summer of 1909 Boris Grigoryevich had a trip abroad to see constructions and buildings which interested him. During the next four years, i. e. , before the World War I, he, as well as many other institute staff, visited Europe to stimulate their scientific interests. Galerkin visited Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Sweden. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation.
Galerkin taught students at the mechanical department structural mechanics, i. e. , conducted exercises and designing. The lecturer was professor V.L.Kirpichov - a famous scientist in the field of mechanics and per se the head of the Petersburg mechanical scientific school. Viktor Kirpichov (1845-1913 was a prominent Russian and Ukrainian engineer and physicist known especially for his work on applied and structural mechanics However, most members also worked in the Polytechnical Institute, for example: I. Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University (Санкт-Петербургский Государственный Политехнический Университет abbreviated G. Bubnov, A.N. Krylov, I. Alexei Nikolaevich Krylov (Алексей Николаевич Крылов ( - October 26 1945) was a Russian Naval Engineer V. Meshcherskiy and S.P. Timoshenko. Stephen P Timoshenko or Stepan Prokofyevich Timoshenko (Степан Тимошенко Степан Прокофьевич Тимошенко December 22
From autumn 1911, Galerkin also worked at the Women's Polytechnical Institute. In 1913 he worked with the design of the metallic frame for a boiler power plant in St. Petersburg - the first building with metallic frame under big loads in Russia. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Later it was considered to be one of the unique European engineering objects. Galerkin regularly published his works in the institutes "Transactions", and since 1915 - also in Engineering News. Engineering News-Record (widely known as ENR) is a weekly Magazine that provides news analysis data and opinion for the construction industry Before 1915 pivot systems were at the center of his scientific interest, later he started researching plates.
In 1915 Galerkin published an article, in which he put forward an idea of an approximate method for differential equations, in particular boundary value problems. A differential equation is a mathematical Equation for an unknown function of one or several variables that relates the values of the In Mathematics, in the field of Differential equations a boundary value problem is a Differential equation together with a set of additional restraints He had applied his method to a big number of pivot and plate analysis problems. Some time before I. G. Bubnov developed a similar approach for the variational problem solution, which he interpreted as a variant of Ritz method algorithm. Calculus of variations is a field of Mathematics that deals with functionals, as opposed to ordinary Calculus which deals with functions. In Physics, the Ritz method is a Variational method named after Walter Ritz. In Mathematics, Computing, Linguistics and related subjects an algorithm is a sequence of finite instructions often used for Calculation The distinguishing features of Galerkin's method were the following: he did not associate the method, developed by him, with any variational problem direct solution, but considered it to be common for solving differential equations. He interpreted it, using the probable displacements principle. These ideas showed to be very productive, not only in structural mechanics, but for mathematical physics at large. Structural mechanics is the computation of Deformations Deflections and internal Forces or stresses ( Stress Equivalents) within structures Mathematical physics is the scientific discipline concerned with the interface of Mathematics and Physics.
The Galerkin method (or Bubnov-Galerkin method) with Galerkin's (or "weak") differential equations problem statement form are known all over the world. In Mathematics, in the area of Numerical analysis, Galerkin methods are a class of methods for converting a continuous operator problem (such as a Differential Weak formulations are an important tool for the analysis of mathematical equations that permit the transfer of concepts of Linear algebra to solve problems in other fields such Nowadays they provide a foundation for algorithms in the fields of mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, hydrodynamics and many others. Mechanics ( Greek) is the branch of Physics concerned with the behaviour of physical bodies when subjected to Forces or displacements In Physics, thermodynamics (from the Greek θερμη therme meaning " Heat " and δυναμις dynamis meaning " Electromagnetism is the Physics of the Electromagnetic field: a field which exerts a Force on particles that possess the property of Fluid dynamics is the sub-discipline of Fluid mechanics dealing with fluid flow: Fluids ( Liquids and Gases in motion
In January 1919, Galerkin became a professor in the 2nd (formerly Women's) Polytechnical Institute, remaining a teacher of structural mechanics in the 1st Polytechnical Institute (at that time the Polytechnical Institute was named so) mechanical department. In March 1920, a professor chair in structural mechanics was established at the department, and Boris Grigoryevich won it in a competition. In Summer 1921, S. P. Belzetskiy, a famous scientist in the field of structural mechanics and theory of elasticity, who was holding a similar chair at the civil engineering faculty, emigrated to Poland. Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Galerkin took part in a competition for his chair and in the beginning of 1922 he left the mechanical faculty for the civil engineering faculty, which was nearer to him in his scientific and engineering activities.
However his talent at that time was not wanted by anyone and he could concentrate his attention towards scientific problems. Before, in 1917-1919 Galerkin published a series of works on rectangular and triangular plates curving in scientific periodicals, mentioned above, and in the "Russian Academy of Sciences Transactions". Later he had a break in publications, and only in 1922 he began publishing again, but only in foreign magazines (in Soviet Russia there was not enough paper for scientific literature). The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991
In December 1923 Galerkin was elected dean of the Polytechnical Institutes civil engineering faculty. In Academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit or over a specific area of concern or both It happened during a very important period of the institute's history, when a group of deans resigned from their posts, protesting from unceremonious intervention of so called "student' representatives", controlled by the trade-unions and the Communist party committees, into the educational process. Galerkin showed to be a talented leader of the faculty. He managed to neutralize too active "assistants", who were appointed against his will, and he did not hurry to fulfill the orders of incompetent leaders, who were conducting infinite experiments in the higher school at that time. In 1924 - 1929 Galerkin was also a professor in the Railway Engineers Institute and in the St. Petersburg University. In 1924 he made his last trip abroad - he participated in the Congress on applied mechanics in the Netherlands. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands
In spring 1926 Galerkin learned that Narkompros (Ministry of education) had adopted a decision to close the road-making section at his faculty. Narkompros (Наркомпрос is an abbreviation for the People's Commissariat for Education (Народный комиссариат просвещения the This decision was prepared and adopted secretly from the dean by the institute Communist party committee in the connection with the company on elimination of parallel specialities. Meanwhile, there were no other faculties in the country, training specialists in the construction of electrified railways, urban railways and subways (the faculty had worked on this since 1907). Galerkin managed to cancel this rash decision by Moscow. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of During the period of Galrkin at the dean post, the first laboratory at the faculty was created. He also managed to receive governmental approval of the idea to built some other big laboratories for the faculty (the Hydrotechnical Research Institute was later established on their base).
In January 1928 Galerkin was appointed as a corresponding member-elected at the USSR Academy of sciences. The Russian Academy of Sciences (Российская Академия Наук Rossi'iskaya Akade'miya Nau'k, shortened to PAH RAN) consists of the National His candidature was nominated by academicians A. F. Yoffe (Abram Ioffe), A.N. Krylov, P. Abram Fedorovich Ioffe (Абра́м Фёдорович Ио́ффе &ndash October 14, 1960) was a prominent Soviet / Russian Physicist Alexei Nikolaevich Krylov (Алексей Николаевич Крылов ( - October 26 1945) was a Russian Naval Engineer P. Lazarev. In October 1929 he left the dean's post. After this the civil engineering faculty was divided into two parts: the hydrotechnical and irrigation sections became the water industry faculty, and the rest that became a part of the civil engineering faculty. Hydromechanics ( Gr ubpops avuca) is the science of the mechanics of water and fluids in general including Hydrostatics or the mathematical theory of fluids Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops The water industry provides Drinking water and Wastewater services (including Sewage treatment) to households and industry was soon left out of the Polytechnical Institute and became the Civil and Industrial Engineering Institute, which however does not exist anymore. The water industry faculty soon became the Hydrotechnical institute. The water industry provides Drinking water and Wastewater services (including Sewage treatment) to households and industry Galerkin was a professor at both institutes.
By the 1920s, Galerkin was already a world-famous scientist. He had had become an authority among engineers-designers. He was often recruited as a consultant to the designing and construction of serious industrial objects in the north-west Russia (heat power plants, Volkhov hydro power plant, Kondopoga pulp and paper mill and others). Kondopoga (Кондопога Kontupohja Karelian: Kondupohju) is a town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fiber source into a thick fiber board which can be shipped to a Paper mill for further A paper mill is a Factory devoted to making Paper from wood pulp and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier Machine or similar apparatus He was a member of the technical Councils of the designing institutes Gipromez and Giprotsvetmet, a member of the academic councils in the research institutes: Irrigation Institute (later - Hydrotechnical Research Institute), Institute of Structures. An Academic Senate is a governing body in some Universities and Colleges in the English-speaking world and typically the supreme academic authority for After the end of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station construction Boris Grigoryevich also became a member of the governmental commission. The Dnieper Hydroelectric Station (or DniproHES) is the largest Hydroelectric power station in Ukraine and one of the largest in Europe.
In 1934, Galerkin got two doctoral degrees in technics and mathematics and the Honoured Worker in Science and Engineering title. A doctorate is an Academic degree that indicates the highest level of academic achievement Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and In the beginning of 1936 he was elected a member of the USSR Academy of sciences. He also became a member of the highest Certifying Commission in the State Committee on higher technical education, a chairman of the technical mechanics group in the USSR Academy of sciences technical section, the headmaster of the USSR Academy of sciences Institute of Mechanics, the chairman of the Civil engineers scientific society and its Leningrad section. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River In April 1936 according to a governmental order Galerkin was appointed chairman of the Governmental Commission for the examination of the Moscow Palace of Soviets steel frame walls and overlappings initial project. The Palace of Soviets (Дворец Советов Dvorets Sovetov) was a project to construct an administrative center and a congress hall in Moscow,
Though having so many titles, Galerkin remained a professor of the structural mechanics and theory of elasticity department at the hydrotechnical faculty (the Hydrotechnical Institute was returned to the Polytechnical (at that time - Industrial) Institute as a faculty in 1934). Institute of technology, and polytechnic, are designations employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable Mostly he taught the course of the theory of elasticity, which was very difficult for the students of that time, who had a very weak training in mathematics. Students were visiting his lectures to look at the "real academician", but he disappointed them. He was short, puny, had a weak voice. His image did not correspond to the status of serious scientist with big authority, received from the government. At one time the academician was even pulled out of a tram by other well-grown passengers, and after this "accident" the institute administration applied to the authorities for a car.
War times and death
Galerkin drew in generals uniform in 1939, when the military-construction school was formed on the base of Civil and Industrial Engineering Institute, as the head of its structural mechanics department and the academician became a lieutenant general. A uniform is a set of standard Clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity Lieutenant General is a Military rank used in many countries The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the Boris Grigoryevich had never been in the army before, but had to wear the generals uniform. He was shy and when someone saluted to him he usually got frightened and waved his hands. A salute (also called obeisance) is a Gesture (often Hand gesture) or other action used to display respect
In the summer of 1941 after the beginning of the war the Commission on the defensive installations construction was created by the city government. Some academicians and prominent scientists became members (almost everyone was from the Polytechnical Institute), but only Boris Grigoryevich was involved with construction engineering. Practically he became the supervisor of the work for the Commission. Simultaneously Boris Grigoryevich was the city engineering defence department experts group head.
Later he was evacuated to Moscow, where he joined the military engineering commission of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Hard non-stop work was undermining the scientists health. Not long after the Great Victory, on July, 12, 1945 Galerkin died in Moscow.
Mathematical contributions
Galerkins name is forever attached to the finite element method, which is a way to numerically solve partial differential equations
Galerkin methods include:
- The Galerkin method - A method for approximating the solution to a problem in weak form. The finite element method (FEM (sometimes referred to as finite element analysis) is a numerical technique for finding approximate solutions of Partial differential Numerical analysis is the study of Algorithms for the problems of continuous mathematics (as distinguished from Discrete mathematics) In Mathematics, partial differential equations ( PDE) are a type of Differential equation, i In Mathematics, in the area of Numerical analysis, Galerkin methods are a class of methods for converting a continuous operator problem (such as a Differential Weak formulations are an important tool for the analysis of mathematical equations that permit the transfer of concepts of Linear algebra to solve problems in other fields such Most well known in the finite element method. The finite element method (FEM (sometimes referred to as finite element analysis) is a numerical technique for finding approximate solutions of Partial differential
- The Petrov-Galerkin method
- The Streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin method (SUPG)
- The Discontinuous Galerkin method
Sources
External links
- O'Connor, John J. Discontinuous Galerkin methods (DG methods in Mathematics form a class of numerical methods for solving partial differential equations. & Robertson, Edmund F. , “Boris Galerkin”, MacTutor History of Mathematics archive
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