Vladimir Igorevich Arnold (Russian: Влади́мир И́горевич Арно́льд, born June 12, 1937 in Odessa, USSR) is one of the world's most prolific mathematicians. While he is best known for the Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser theorem regarding the stability of integrable Hamiltonian systems, he has made important contributions in a number of areas including dynamical systems theory, catastrophe theory, topology, algebraic geometry, classical mechanics and singularity theory in a career spanning over 45 years after his first main result - the solution of Hilbert's thirteenth problem in 1957.
After graduating from the Moscow State University in 1959, he worked there until 1986 (a professor since 1965), and is working at Steklov Mathematical Institute since then. He became an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (Russian Academy of Science since 1991) in 1990[1] Arnold can be said to have initiated the theory of symplectic topology as a distinct discipline. The Arnold conjecture on the number of fixed points of Hamiltonian symplectomorphisms and Lagrangian intersections were also a major motivation in the development of Floer homology.
Arnold is well known for his lucid writing style, combining mathematical rigour with physical intuition, and an easy conversational style of teaching. His writings present a fresh, often geometric approach to traditional mathematical topics like ordinary differential equations, and his many textbooks have proved influential in the development of new areas of mathematics.
Arnold is an outspoken critic of the trend of high levels of abstraction in mathematics during the middle of last century. He has very strong opinions on how this approach - which was most popularly implemented by the Bourbaki school in France - initially had negative impact on French, and then later other countries', mathematical education (see [1] and other essays in [2]).
Arnold has been the recipient of many awards, such as the Lenin Prize (1965, with Andrei Kolmogorov), the Crafoord Prize (1982, with Louis Nirenberg), the Harvey prize (1994), Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics (2001) and the Wolf Prize in Mathematics (2001).
Arnold presently works at the Steklov Mathematical Institute in Moscow and at the University of Paris IX. As of 2006 he was reported to have the highest citation index among Russian scientists, [3] and h-index of 40[4].
The minor planet 10031 Vladarnolda was named after him in 1981 by Lyudmila Georgievna Karachkina.