Lev Pontryagin Lived Life to the Fullest and Became a Great Mathematician of Russia.
According to the Russian documentation site Russia Beyond (RBTH), Lev Pontryagin made remarkable efforts to overcome difficulties. He made a significant impact on global science and even prevented misguided plans to divert Siberian rivers to the arid lands of Central Asia.
On a fateful day in 1921, a tragedy struck a Soviet student named Lev Pontryagin. A malfunctioning stove exploded while he was attempting to repair it, resulting in the boy becoming blind.
Lev Pontryagin’s father witnessed the accident and was completely devastated. However, Lev did not give up. The boy not only survived but also went on to become a great and globally recognized scientist.
Difficult Early Years
Lev Pontryagin in his early years. (Photo: RBTH).
The years following the accident were the most challenging for Lev Pontryagin. It seemed like his educational journey had come to an end, but his classmates supported him immensely. They would come to his house, read aloud what the teachers taught, and help him with his homework.
Pontryagin diligently learned to play the piano and tried his hand at various crafts. Ultimately, mathematics became his passion. His mother, Tatiana Andreyevna, a seamstress, played a crucial role in helping him learn about science.
Pontryagin recalled: “My mother helped me with my homework, read books to me, including books on mathematics. Coincidentally, those books far exceeded the curriculum I could study at school.“
This devoted mother became the “secretary” for the great mathematician. Every day, she would read dozens of pages of mathematical formulas to her son. The most challenging aspect for Tatiana Andreyevna was explaining the mathematical symbols that her son could not see. For each mathematical symbol, she would “invent” special symbols for him. Pontryagin never used Braille (the alphabet for the visually impaired).
In 1925, Pontryagin excelled in his studies and enrolled in the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at Moscow University. In class, he did not take notes but instead tried to memorize everything. By the age of 27, Pontryagin had earned a doctorate in physics and mathematics.
Parents of Lev Pontryagin. (Photo: RBTH).
Living Life to the Fullest
At every stage of his life, his mother remained a wonderful support for Pontryagin. He had an extraordinary memory and could retain a vast amount of information in his head.
The Russian scientist truly lived life to the fullest. He rarely used any special devices. He moved around without a cane and did not require assistance from others, which often led him to fall. However, he always got back up and continued on.
Pontryagin even learned to dance, ski, and skate. This outstanding mathematician authored around 300 publications, including several specialized books and textbooks.
Lev Pontryagin. (Photo: Sputnik).
For his contributions to science, he received several state awards from the Soviet Union and other prestigious recognitions, becoming an honorary member of the International Academy of Astronautics, the London Mathematical Society, and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, as well as an honorary Doctor of Science at the University of Salford (UK).
Lev Semyonovich did a great deal to halt the problematic project of diverting some rivers from Siberia to the arid regions of Central Asia. The mathematician calculated the adverse effects of this project and sent a personal letter to the country’s leader at the time, Mikhail Gorbachev.
In his honor, an asteroid and a street in Moscow were named after the great mathematician. Additionally, two busts were erected in his memory, one of which is located at the State Library for the Visually Impaired in Russia.
“How could Lev Semyonovich achieve so much?” pondered Pontryagin’s colleague, mathematician Igor Shafarevich. “…I think it’s because he constantly pushed beyond the limits to do extraordinary things.”
