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Alexey PetrovSoviet mathematician and theoretical physicist, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR
Date of Birth: 28.10.1910
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
Early Life and Education
Alexey Zinovyevich Petrov was born on October 15 (28), 1910, in the village of Koshki, Samara Governorate, into a family of a rural priest. He was the twelfth of thirteen children. At the age of five, he lost his father to tuberculosis. Shortly after, his family home was destroyed by fire, forcing his mother to give him and his younger brother to his paternal aunt, Ekaterina Vasilyevna Petrova. She later adopted the boys and gave them her surname.
After receiving his primary education in his hometown, Alexey moved to the town of Melekess (now Dimitrovgrad) in 1926, where he enrolled in a seven-year school. It was here that his extraordinary mathematical abilities became evident. After graduating, he entered the Melekess Pedagogical College but left after a year to work.
In 1931, Alexey Petrov and his younger brother moved to Kazan, where they found employment in the construction of the Kazan State Regional Power Plant (now Thermal Power Plant No. 1). In 1932, he passed secondary school exams externally and was admitted to Kazan State University's Faculty of Physics and Mathematics.
Academic Career
At Kazan University, Petrov began to study the application of geometry to the theory of gravity under the guidance of Professor P. A. Shirokov. However, his studies were interrupted in 1941 when he went to the front as a mortar platoon commander. Despite this, he successfully defended his candidate's dissertation in January 1943 while on leave. After recovering from a severe wound in August of the same year, he returned to Kazan.
After his demobilization, Petrov worked as an associate professor at the Kazan Aviation Institute until 1945. That year, he transferred to Kazan State University's Department of Geometry. During the postwar years, Petrov's scientific interests solidified in the application of mathematical methods to the theory of physical fields.
In 1946, he began researching Einstein spaces, and in 1952-54, he proved a theorem that later brought him international fame. This theorem established the existence of three types of Einstein spaces (subsequently known as Petrov types). The classification of Einstein spaces into three types became the basis of his doctoral dissertation, which he defended at Moscow State University in 1957.
In October 1956, Petrov became a professor in Kazan University's Department of Geometry. In 1960, he founded the first (and still the only) Department of the Theory of Relativity and Gravitation in the Soviet Union at the university's Physics Faculty. While continuing his scientific research, Petrov devoted much effort to organizational and methodological work, preparing and delivering numerous specialized courses on gravity, relativity theory, and related disciplines. He also mentored students, graduate students, and departmental assistants, led several permanent seminars, and edited the periodic journal "Gravity and Relativity Theory" published by Kazan University. Within a short time, he had trained a talented generation of students, establishing a research school renowned far beyond Kazan.
In 1960, Petrov was appointed Chairman of the Soviet Commission in the International Committee for Gravitation and Relativity Theory. He held these positions until his death, playing a significant role in organizing and developing research in gravity both in the Soviet Union and abroad.
Major Contributions
In the 1960s, Petrov published two monographs, "Einstein Spaces" and "New Methods in General Relativity," which summarized the results of his extensive research. These monographs, which hold a special place in the international literature on general relativity theory, were quickly recognized and translated into numerous foreign languages.
In 1969, Petrov was elected an academician of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. In 1970, he became the head of the Department of Relativity Theory and Gravitation at the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. Together with Professor V. B. Braginsky (Moscow State University), Petrov led experiments to detect gravitational radiation.
Later Years and Legacy
Despite suffering from severe illnesses, Petrov continued to work even while hospitalized in Kiev. He held meetings with his students and department staff on a strict schedule, providing guidance and consultation.
In April 1972, Petrov was awarded the Lenin Prize for his work on "Invariant-group methods of investigation in the theory of gravitation." Tragically, he died in the hospital the following May, the day after an operation.
Alexey Zinovyevich Petrov is remembered as a brilliant mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the theory of gravity and general relativity. His classification of Einstein spaces into three types remains a cornerstone of the field, and his work on invariant-group methods paved the way for new developments in the study of gravity. His legacy as a teacher and mentor has fostered generations of talented researchers continuing his groundbreaking work.
