HSE Professor Awarded Presidential Prize for Young Scientists

The Kremlin has announced the laureates of its prestigious 2015 Presidential Prize for Young Scientists, and one of the three recipients was none other than Vladimir Stegailov, a Professor in HSE’s School of Applied Mathematics, which is a division of the Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM HSE).

The website of the Russian President notes that Stegailov was awarded the prize ‘for a series of developments in supercomputer multiscale modelling of materials under extreme conditions.’ The website adds that his work allows scientists to address general modelling issues in mathematics and computer science as a whole.

On top of the theoretical depth of Professor Stegailov’s research, his work is of entirely practical significance as well. His accomplishments include solving the problem of graphite’s melting point, a topic that has been debated for more than half a century. Stegailov also proposed a new metric that allows us to compare supercomputers composed of various types of hardware and to analyse the effectiveness of using various supercomputers to solve tasks in quantum and classical molecular dynamics. He also developed an approach to describing the kinetics of how radiation defects accumulate in nuclear fuel. And the list goes on.

Mr Stegailov, an instructor in HSE’s master’s programme in Mathematical Methods of Modelling and Computer Technologies, is also the head of the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences (JIHT). ‘Our programme teaches the most contemporary methods of mathematical modelling on multicore supercomputers,’ comments the programme’s Academic Supervisor, Mikhail Karasev. ‘In 2012, we invited world-class young scientists; JIHT department chiefs Vladimir Stegailov, Igor Morozov, and Alexei Timofeyev; and the Deputy Scientific Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Roman Efremov, to teach at HSE. These specialists teach an entire range of courses here, and they also supervise student research,’ he adds.

‘They are working on the generally grandiose problems of modern-day computer science and applied mathematics – how to create technologies capable of virtually, without any real experiments, determining the fundamental characteristics and behaviour of elements that both exist in nature and are created artificially. Such research also concerns biological systems at the cellular level, as well as proteins and viruses,’ Karasev notes.

‘A full virtual model of all things – something reminiscent of the matrix from the well-known sci-fi movie – is of course beyond the reach of today’s capabilities. But pursing this objective at a level where we can accurately predict the properties of newly synthesized materials or compartmentalized molecular medicine – this is something that is already happening and rapidly developing in the world of technology. It is wonderful that Russia’s level of mathematical development – both fundamental and computer-based – allows the country to stand among some of the most advanced nations in the field,’ he concludes.