The institute of mathematics, economics and informatics

TOPIC # 1

IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY

Irkutsk State University was founded in 1918. It was the first higher educational establishment in Eastern Siberia. First there were only two faculties at the University. They were the faculty of history and philology and the law faculty. The faculty of physics and mathematics was set up in 1919. In the twenties many prominent scientists came to Irkutsk to teach at the University: Prof. Rubenstein, Prof. Svarchevsky, Prof. Frank-Kamenetsky and others. The first rector of the University was Prof. Rubenstein.

The structure of the University was changed several times. Now there are 14 faculties at the University. They are the faculties of chemistry, physics, biology, geology, geography and others. Two of them became independent Institutes in 1999. They are Law Institute and Institute of Mathematics, Economics and Informatics. Now the University has a few more Institutes. They are Institute of Social Sciences,International Institute of Economics and Linguistics and Baikal School of International Business. But in spite of these changes our University has remained a classical University.

The University occupies several buildings. The older buildings are located in the center of Irkutsk.

The academic staff of the University is highly qualified. A lot of doctors of sciences and candidates of sciences teach at our University. They also carry out research in different fields of science. There are three research institutes at our University. They are Institute of Biology, Institute of Gas and Oil, and Institute of Applied Physics. Some of our scientists are well known in our country and abroad. Students have an opportunity to do research at different laboratories and students’ scientific societies. Educational level at our University is rather high, and many enterprises, commercial organizations, secondary and higher schools are eager to hire our graduates.

TOPIC # 2

IRKUTSK UNIVERSITY COMPUTER CENTER

There is a large computer center at Irkutsk State University. It was set up in 1959. First there was only one machine at the computer centre. It was an electronic computing machine of the first generation the URAL-1. The staff of the computer center was only twenty people.

Now the computer center is a large educational and scientific center. Many specialists work there. There are many operators, engineers, programmers and research workers. At the center there are seven laboratories, for example, the laboratory of mathematical statistics and the theory of probability, the laboratory of methods of research of management systems, the laboratory of automatization, the laboratory of programming and others.

The computer center is equipped with modern electronic machines of the third and fourth generations. There are two workstations, a mainframe, and many personal computers at the center.

The students of the University have their computer practice at the computer center. They learn to operate modern computers, to read, analyze and compile programs.

Internet center was established in 1997. It was set up under the sponsorship of Soros fund. The students of Irkutsk State University can have a free Internet access.

TOPIC # 3

MATHEMATICS AS A SCIENCE

Mathematics is an activity which has as its purpose the formulation and understanding of a complete model of the universe. Mathematics as a science is a collection of branches. They are arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and others. Ancient Egyptians used arithmetic and geometry more than 5,000 years ago to measure out plots of land and to build pyramids with great accuracy. Arithmetic deals with numbers and calculating. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are its main operations. Geometry is concerned with lines, angles, figures and solids. Greeks such as Euclid worked out most of the general principles of geometry, called theorems, about 2,500 years ago. Algebra is a kind of mathematical shorthand that uses symbols to stand for unknown quantities. It was developed by the Arabs less than 1,200 years ago. Arithmetic, geometry, and algebra are the foundations of mathematics.

Mathematicians divide mathematics into pure and applied mathematics. Pure mathematics is an investigation of mathematical theories and ideas. The study of the whole numbers, the development of the number theory and the theory of equations are examples of pure mathematics. Applied mathematics deals with the application of mathematical theories to the problems in different branches of science. The work in cybernetics is an outstanding example of applied mathematics. Another example of applied mathematics is statistics, which uses the theory of probability as a tool and allows the description, analysis, and prediction of phenomena.

Mathematics is the language of science. Engineers, physicists and other scientists use mathematics in their research to prove their ideas and theories.

TOPIC # 4

FAMOUS SCIENTISTS (CLAUDE ELWOOD SHANNON)

Claude Elwood Shannon was born in 1916 in Petoskey, Michigan, and died in 2001. He was an American electrical engineer and mathematician. He was the founder of practical digital circuit design theory. Especially he was famous for his contribution to information science and he has been called “the father of information science”.

In 1932 he entered the University of Michigan, where he took a course that introduced him to the works of George Boole. He graduated from the University in 1936 with two bachelor’s degrees, one in electrical engineering and one in mathematics. Then he began his graduate study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology devoting much time to the elaboration of differential analyzer, analog computer.

While studying the complicated circuits of the differential analyzer, Shannon saw that Boole’s concepts could be used to great utility. Shannon proved that Boolean algebra and binary arithmetic could be used to simplify the arrangement of the electromechanical relays. Shannon’s work was considered to be the foundation of practical digital circuit design when it became widely known among the electrical engineering community during and after World War II.

During World War II Shannon worked at Bell Labs elaborating fire-control systems and cryptography. To commemorate his achievements, after the breakup of the Bell system, the part of Bell Labs was named in his honor.

In 1948 Shannon published “A Mathematical Theory of Communication”. This work was devoted to the problem of how best to encode the information a sender wants to transmit. Shannon developed information entropy as a measure for the uncertainty in a message. Another notable paper “Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems” was published in 1949. This work was a contribution to the development of the mathematical theory of cryptography.

In 1956 Shannon came to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to join its faculty and to conduct work in the Research Laboratory of Electronics. He continued to work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology till 1978.

Shannon’s contribution to science is great. The whole digital revolution started with him.

TOPIC # 5

AN ELECTRONIC COMPUTER

An electronic computer is a device that can accept information, store it, process it, and present the results of the processing in some acceptable form. A most important adjunct to this definition is that a computer is told how to process the information by instructions, which are stored in a coded form inside the computer. The coded instructions are called a program (modern usage prefers the word routine). We therefore speak of a computer as an internally-stored-program device. Any computer contains devices for five main functions: input, storage, arithmetic, control and output. Input refers to the process by which information is put into the machine. Output is the process by which the results are moved out of the machine. Storage refers to the mechanism that can retain information during calculation and furnish it as needed to other parts of the machine. The arithmetic unit is that part of the machine, which can carry out one or more of the basic arithmetic operations on the information held in storage. Finally, the control refers to those parts of the machine that dictate the functions to be performed by all the other parts.Originally input to the computer was provided by such things as punched cards or punched paper tapes. Storage was provided by a device such as a rotating magnetic drum or by magnetic cores. Arithmetic was carried out by various electronic circuits. Output was provided by such devices as punched cards, punched paper tapes, a typewriter, or a printer, which can print a complete line of information at a time.

TOPIC # 6

THE INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS, ECONOMICS AND INFORMATICS

The Institute of Mathematics, Economics and Informatics began as the joint faculty of physics and mathematics founded in 1919; later it was divided into the faculty of physics and mathematics. Professor V.V. Vasiliev was the founder and the first dean of the mathematical faculty. In 1994 mathematicians-economists began to be trained at the faculty. In 1999 it was reformed in the Institute of Mathematics and Economics of Irkutsk State University and in 2005 it got the name of the Institute of Mathematics, Economics and Informatics.

The Institute of Mathematics, Economics and Informatics trains specialists for different branches of industry and research laboratories, and teachers for secondary schools and higher educational establishments. The students of the Institute specialize in pure mathematics, computer administration, applied mathematics, and mathematical methods in economics. As pure mathematics is an investigation of mathematical theories and ideas the students of the department of pure mathematics deal with the study of fundamental laws in mathematics. The students of the departments of computer administration and applied mathematics are concerned with the application of mathematical theories to practical things. One of the most important subjects for them is discrete mathematics. Discrete mathematics is the common name for the fields of mathematics most generally useful in theoretical computer science. This includes computability theory, computational complexity theory, and information theory. Computability theory examines the limitations of various theoretical models of the computer. Complexity theory is the study of tractability by computer. Information science is concerned with the amount of data that can be stored on a given medium, and hence concepts such as compression and entropy. The students of the department of mathematical methods in economics specialize in economics as well as in mathematics. Economics is the study of how man uses resources to satisfy his needs. It is a vast sector of study comprising knowledge of social and mathematical disciplines. Mathematical statistics plays an important role in the training of future economists. It allows the description, analysis, and prediction of economic phenomena.

The students of the Institute spend a lot of time on theoretical and practical work in their chosen fields. The students also carry out research in all branches of mathematics and economics. They receive a comprehensive guidance for their future work from the academic staff, which is headed by doctors of sciences and candidates of sciences.

TOPIC # 7

MY SPECIALITY

I study at the Institute of Mathematics, Economics and Informatics of Irkutsk State University. It has the departments of pure mathematics, computer administration, applied mathematics, and mathematical methods in economics. As pure mathematics is an investigation of mathematical theories and ideas the students of the department of pure mathematics deal with the study of fundamental laws in mathematics. The students of the departments of computer administration and applied mathematics are concerned with the application of mathematical theories to practical things. One of the most important subjects for them is discrete mathematics. Discrete mathematics is the common name for the fields of mathematics most generally useful in theoretical computer science. This includes computability theory, computational complexity theory, and information theory. Computability theory examines the limitations of various theoretical models of the computer. Complexity theory is the study of tractability by computers. Information science is concerned with the amount of data that can be stored on a given medium, and such concepts as compression and entropy. The students of the department of mathematical methods in economics specialize in economics as well as in mathematics. Economics is the study of how man uses resources to satisfy his needs. It is a vast sector of study comprising knowledge of social and mathematical disciplines. Mathematical statistics plays an important role in the training of future economists. It allows the description, analysis, and prediction of economic phenomena.

I study at the department of mathematical methods in economics. As my parents are economists they have made a great influence on my choice and I can say that this profession runs the family. I have chosen this profession as I consider myself the profession of an economist to be of great need and importance.

To be a well-prepared economist means to have some important qualities: great persistence, knowledge of many subjects, especially special ones, and, certainly, knowledge of foreign languages.

At the department I can get I profound knowledge in my speciality. It is surely the merit of the academic staff of the department. Many doctors of sciences and candidates of sciences teach me.

A lot of students of the department carry out research under the guidance of highly qualified specialists in their chosen fields. It is a nice opportunity for their intellectual development. I try my best to participate in scientific discussions. Sometimes I present papers devoted to different problems of economics.

After graduating from the University I’d like to work at the big company. May be I’ll be able to organize my own business.