Mark Iosifovich Vishik and His Work:
Award Ceremony of the Honorary Doctorate
at the Free University of Berlin

Bernold Fiedler (ed.)
Institut für Mathematik I, Freie Universität Berlin
Arnimallee 2-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany

Opening Bernold Fiedler
	The award ceremony for Mark Vishik was performed by Ralph-Hardo Schulz, the Dean of mathematics at the Free University of Berlin

Mr. Vice President,

 

dear guests from around the world,

 

dear colleagues,

 

ladies and gentlemen,

 

Let me welcome you all to this celebration at 'Haus am Waldsee'.

Today we have come together to face a quite formidable task: to celebrate the outstanding scientific achievements and the truly exceptional personality of our dear friend Markus Iosifovich Vishik. The Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Free University of Berlin will award him a doctorate honoris causa but, in fact, we are quite aware that it is much more our University, than him, who is receiving an honor here. The standards of both his scientific achievements and his humane culture have long ago reached a height which cannot possibly be further enhanced by any 'prizes' or 'honors', be they academic or otherwise. Even in the scientific context alone, our four day international conference in honor of his work could only provide a cursory glimpse of what he has achieved in mathematics.

In addition to - and perhaps beyond - mathematics, music has always been a source of contemplation and continuing inspiration in Mark's life. During his many visits at Berlin in recent years, I have heard him confess many times: 'I cannot live without music'. He deeply loves 'German' music and 'German' composers like Brahms, Schubert and Mozart (more 'Austrian', in fact, if national at all). This deep affinity has accompanied him from his youth through the dark years of Nazi horror, and has persisted all the way to the present day.

The location 'Haus am Waldsee' of our award ceremony has been chosen accordingly. It was here, in this park, where in August 1945 the first concert of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra after World War II was given under Sergiu Celibidache.

For all these reasons, I am particularly happy to introduce our international duo Theo Flindell (violin) and Kensei Yamaguchi (piano), young prize winning artists at numerous international music competitions. Following the exquisite taste of Mark Vishik, they will play for us the Allegro from the first of three Sonatinas for violin and piano by Franz Schubert. Later we will hear the Andante tranquillo of the Brahms Sonata for violin and piano in A Major. Our musicians will conclude the afternoon with the Allegretto from the Sonata for piano and violin in D Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Our list of speakers for welcome addresses is illustrious - and somewhat long. Almost anybody in this audience, I am sure, could substantially and rightfully contribute to these addresses. But I am also confident that our speakers will well represent all our views.

Let me take the liberty to read to you from a letter by the late Professor Jacques-Louis Lions concerning Mark Vishik:

'I enthusiastically support your idea of an Honorary Doctorate of your University awarded to Professor Mark Vishik.

The work of M. Vishik has been very influential for several generations of mathematicians in the world, in the fields of Partial Differential Equations, Nonlinear Analysis, Dynamical Systems in infinite dimensions, Pseudo Differential Operators, Statistical Solutions of Navier Stokes equations etc.

His influence in the world is very important. In France, I have learnt many things from him; we used his work with Sobolev on non-homogeneous problems with Professor E. Magenes. Also Professor R. Temam has been deeply influenced by M. Vishik's work.'

I would like to now call on our Vice President of Sciences, Gerhard Braun, a mathematician himself, to give our first welcome address.

His address will be followed by contributions by Misha Shubin, representing in unison the Moscow mathematicians and the many, many successful members of the Vishik School. Eberhard Zeidler will extend his personal greetings from the University of Leipzig and the Max-Planck Institute of Mathematics in the Sciences. Louis Nirenberg has kindly contributed a letter as well as a personal address for his long-time friend. Then Konrad Gröger will give his personal greetings, also representing Humboldt University. Finally Roger Temam will offer us a grandmaster's insight into the overwhelming OEvre of Mark Vishik.

The award ceremony will be performed by the Dean of our faculty, Ralph-Hardo Schulz. And finally the afternoon will culminate in Mark Vishik's sharing with us of his thoughts about the sources of his work.

1. Welcome adress by Gerhard Braun
2. My teacher Mark Iosifovich Vishik, by Mikhail Shubin
3. Personal greetings of Eberhard Zeidler
4. Letter and personal address of Louis Nirenberg
5. Personal greetings of Konrad Gröger
6. Mark Vishik and his work, by Roger Temam
7. The sources of my work, by Mark Vishik
8. Closing remarks
9. Appendix