VLADIMIR I. ARNOLD—Collected Works

This volume 5 of the Collected Works includes papers written by V.I. Arnold, one of the most outstanding mathematicians of all times, during the period from 1986 to 1991. Arnold’s work during this period covers symplectic topology, contact geometry and wave propagation, quasicrystals, dynamics of intersections, bifurcations, and catastrophe theory. He was seriously concerned with decaying mathematical education in Russia and worldwide — one can see this in several articles translated for this volume. Of particular interest are the sets of problems which Arnold collected under the name “Mathematical Trivium” — in his opinion, any math or physics university graduate should be able to solve any problem from that list. The reader will also enjoy perusing several interviews with Arnold, as well as his remarkable warm memories about Ya.B. Zeldovich and his teacher A.N. Kolmogorov. One of Arnold’s papers on catastrophe theory translated for this volume also contains a beautiful translation of E.A. Baratynsky’s poem made by A.B. Givental. The book will be of interest to the wide audience from college students to professionals in mathematics or physics and in the history of science.