Secretariat

Vadim Kuznetsov

We are very sorry to have to report that Dr Vadim Kuznetsov, Reader in the School of Mathematics (Department of Applied Mathematics), died on 16 December 2005.

Dr Kuznetsov was a mathematician of considerable distinction, whose current research held every promise of further innovative and exciting discoveries. A graduate of Leningrad University, he held appointments in Holland, Denmark and Canada before joining the Department of Applied Mathematics in Leeds in 1996, as a post-doctoral research fellow on an EPSRC-funded project. The project proved very successful and, in 1999, Dr Kuznetsov was awarded a prestigious 5-year Advanced Fellowship by the EPSRC in order to continue the work. He was also successful in his application for a University Research Fellowship, to run concurrently with the EPSRC award. In 2003, Dr Kuznetsov was promoted to Reader in Applied Analysis.

Dr Kuznetsov enjoyed a very strong international reputation in the field of Integrable Systems and was responsible for a number of fundamental contributions to the development of Separation of Variables techniques by exploiting the methods of integrability. He published extensively in the leading journals and was frequently invited to speak at conferences and other universities; his clarity of exposition at such gatherings was much admired. Dr Kuznetsov was very well liked and respected within the School of Mathematics, where his loss will be very keenly felt as, indeed, it will be by the international mathematics community as a whole.

Dr Kuznetsovs funeral will be held at Lawnswood Cemetery and Crematorium, Otley Road, Leeds 16, at 9.40 a.m. on Friday, 30 December 2005. The family have said that everyone who knew him is very welcome but have asked that flowers at the funeral be confined to those from the family. There will be a collection for a charity of their choice at the service.

Dr Kuznetsov is survived by his wife, Olga, and son, Simon.

As a mark of respect, the flag on the Parkinson Building will be flown at half-mast on the day of the funeral.

A more detailed obituary of Dr Kuznetsov will be published later.

Published: 20 December 2005