Vladimir Igorevich Arnold

This and the next issue of our journal is devoted to Vladimir Igorevich Arnold on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Arnold is one of the very best mathematicians of the world, one of the founders of the Independent University of Moscow, president of its Board of Trustees and its Scientific Committee, member of our Editorial Board.

The face of modern mathematics would be unrecognizable without his work in dynamical systems, classical and celestial mechanics, singularity theory, topology, real and complex algebraic geometry, symplectic and contact geometry, hydrodynamics, variation calculus, differential geometry, potential theory, mathematical physics, superposition theory, etc.

Arnold is a rare teacher, his school is famous and numerous, he has a special gift for finding new beautiful problems to interest and involve young researchers. He is an extraordinary lecturer at all levels of mathematical education and research. Difficult modern theories become quite clear and simple in his exposition. One could hardly imagine modern mathematical education without his brilliant textbooks. The Moscow mathematical school owes a lot to his seminar.

Coming from a family of scientists in several generations, he brings together their scientific approach and deep interest to all sides of the life, his knowledge being extremely vast and his curiosity towards everything around him quite amazing.

We wish Vladimir Igorevich many new beautiful discoveries, bright students, health and happiness.

S. Gusein-Zade, Yu. Ilyashenko, A. Khovansky, M. Tsfasman, V. Vassiliev.