Zelmanov, Abram Leonidovich

Birth, Early Years

Born in the family of an employee Leonid (Lipa) Abramovich Zelmanov and Rebekka Danilovna Fonareva. Until 1924 he lived in Kharkov , then in Leningrad , from 1927 - in Moscow.

Personal life

Beginning

In 1937 he graduated from the astronomical department of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University. In the fifth year, at the suggestion of his future leader, academician V. G. Fesenkov, Zelmanov made a report on the application of the general theory of relativity in cosmology. The topic captured the student, and from that moment on, the vocation was finally determined.

In 1941 he graduated from graduate school. In 1944 he defended his thesis, and later became a doctor of physical and mathematical sciences.

After graduating from graduate school, A. L. Zelmanov works at the P.K. Sternberg Astronomical Institute at Moscow University .

From 1942 and almost until the last days of his life, Abram Leonidovich gave, sometimes with interruptions, lectures on the general theory of relativity and cosmology. It was probably the country's first mathematical lecture courses in these subjects ^[1] . At his lecture came people of various professions and ages; Direct or indirect students of Abram Leonidovich consider themselves many experts working in this field of science.

The works of Abram Leonidovich are well known in the USSR and abroad. He repeatedly participated in the work of Soviet and international scientific conferences, wrote several articles for encyclopedias.

Zelmanov A. L. created the methods of scientific research:

• chronometric invariants;
• kinemometric invariants;
• monad formalism.

Abram Zelmanov was sure that only a theory of a heterogeneous, anisotropic Universe can give an adequate description of the world around him. He introduced the factors of heterogeneity and anisotropy, studied their behavior. Time has confirmed the fruitfulness of such a path. Elements of the theory of a heterogeneous, anisotropic Universe are used in the analysis of deviations from standard Friedmann cosmology, that is, in describing the emergence and development of a metagalactic structure.

Zelmanov owns one of the first formulations of the Anthropic principle (1955): “... we are witnesses of processes of a certain type because processes of a different type proceed without witnesses,” (see A. Zelmanov, Some philosophical aspects of modern cosmology and related fields of physics / / Dialectics and modern science, M., 1970, pp. 395-400).

The mathematical apparatus developed by A. L. Zelmanov is used not only in cosmology, but also in astrophysics of compact objects. Scientists rely on his work in analyzing the behavior of electromagnetic and gravitational fields in the vicinity of neutron stars and black holes.

• Novikov, Igor Dmitrievich
• Grischuk, Leonid Petrovich
• Polishchuk, Rostislav Feofanovich
• Zakharov, Valery Dmitrievich

The scientific and pedagogical activity of A. L. Zelmanov was marked by several medals, a diploma of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR.

• Elements of the general theory of relativity / A. L. Zelmanov, V. G. Agakov. - M .: Nauka, 1989 .-- 240 p.
• Chronometric Invariants (On the deformation and curvature of the associated space)

• Kolchinsky I.G., Korsun A.A., Rodriguez M.G. Astronomers: A Biographical Reference. - 2nd ed., Revised. and additional .. - Kiev: Naukova Dumka, 1986. - 512 p.

• Zelmanov A.L. (1913-1987) . An article on the Traveling in the Universe website.
• In memory of Abram Leonidovich Zelmanov .