Subject: Re: Postnikov Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:52:13 -0400 (EDT) From: Yuli Rudyak My PhD supervisor and outstanding topologist Mikhail Mikhailovich Postnikov died June 26 this year. He was born October 27, 1927, and he worked as a researcher in Steklov Institute until last day of his life. The main topological achievement of Postnikov is the complete homotopy classification of finite $CW$ spaces and maps between such spaces. Namely, he proved that, in a sense, every space can be decomposed (up to homotopy) in a twisted product of Eilenberg--Mac Lane spaces, and he introduced the invariants (called later Postnikov invariants) that describe the above mentioned twisting. Now, the homotopy type of a finite $CW$-space is completely determined by its homotopy groups and Postnikov invariants. He did it in 1951, and up to now the Postnikov tower is one of favorite tools of algebraic topologists. Mikhail Postnikov was a good supervisor, and he was very active as the supervisor: Almost all Russian algebraic topologists were his students, or students of his students, or students of students of his students. Students were delighted with his lectures, colleagues admired with his wide mathematical knowledge. He liked to travel, to play chess and bridge. He enjoyed many other things in life. Many people will miss him. Dr. Yuli B. Rudyak Department of Mathematics University of Florida 358 Little Hall PO Box 118105 Gainesville, FL 32611-8105 USA TEL: (+1) 352-392-0281 ext. 319(office) TEL: (+1) 352-381-8497(home) FAX: (+1) 352-392-8357 URL: http://www.math.ufl.edu/~rudyak/