Nikolay Konstantinov

Nikolay Nikolayevich Konstantinov (Russian: Николай Николаевич Константинов; born 2 January 1932) is a leading Soviet and Russian mathematical educator and organizer of numerous mathematics competitions for high school students. He is best known as the creator and chief organizer of the Tournament of the Towns.^[1] For his work he was awarded the Paul Erdős award in 1992.^[2]

Biography

Konstantinov was born and grew up in Moscow, Soviet Union. He graduated from the Physics Department of the Moscow State University in 1954, and later received a Ph.D. in physics.

In the 1950s he started a math circle in Moscow University and since 1960s in a number of Moscow high schools. He continued working with schools developing special classes with mathematics concentration and individual approach to learning. His students went on to win mathematics competitions on all levels and dozens of them became well known mathematicians.

In 1978, Konstantinov started the Lomonosov tournament, a multi-subject science competition. This tournament is continued every year since then. In 1980, he started the international Tournament of the Towns which is now organized in over 150 towns in 25 countries.^[3][4]

In 1990 Konstantinov was one of the founders of Independent University of Moscow, one of the leading institutions of higher learning in mathematics in Russia.^[5]

Even now, in his late 70's, Konstantinov continues working in Moscow High School 179 and is an editor of Kvant magazine, a popular Russian science publication.

References

1. ^ International Mathematics Tournament of Towns
2. ^ David Hilbert and Paul Erdös Awards
3. ^ "Birth of the Tournament of the Towns", an article by N.N. Konstantinov, J.B. Tabov and P.J. Taylor in Mathematics Competitions, Vol. 4, No. 2, 1991, pp. 28-41.
4. ^ Mathematics competitions (in Russian), a Radio Liberty interview with Nikolay Konstantinov.
5. ^ "Why Konstantinov is a legend" (in Russian), an article in Shkola Zhizni magazine, 25 May, 2008.

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Name	Konstantinov, Nikolay N.
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Date of birth	2 January 1932
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