Reminiscences of S. K. Godunov. The Russian Mathematician

Abstract

These personal reminiscences of the great Russian mathematician Sergey K. Godunov (1929-2023) arose from a request by his daughter, Ekaterina, to contribute a piece to a book she is writing about her father's life. I was honoured to accept this invitation and to give written form to the rewarding experience of conducting research on themes pioneered by Professor Godunov, interacting with him personally on several memorable occasions, and helping to establish research collaboration with his Novosibirsk group. Our association began at a conference in Lake Tahoe (USA) in 1995 and was followed by a number of subsequent meetings, notably in Novosibirsk, Manchester, Oxford, and Cambridge. Briefer encounters also took place in the Porquerolles Island (France), in Lyon (France), and in St. Petersburg (Russia). These notes bear witness to the global impact of Godunov's mathematical creativity across multiple branches of science, as well as to its lasting influence on the careers of generations of mathematicians in both academia and industry.