Alexander Mikhailovich Gortsev

(01.01.1944−12.05.2023)

In 1961, graduated school No. 1 in Ishim, Tyumen region, with honors and entered Tomsk State University, Faculty of Radiophysics. Graduated TSU in 1966 with a degree in radiophysics and electronics, in 1967 entered a postgraduate training program at the TSU Department of Electronics and Computer Technologies and Automation. In 1970 he graduated from the training program by defending a thesis on radio prospecting and becoming a candidate of physical and mathematical sciences. Since 1970 — associate professor at the TSU Faculty of Applied Mathematics, Department of Applied Mathematics, since 1978 — head of the Department of Technical Cybernetics (renamed in 1995 to Department of Operational Research) at the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics. From 2018 to 2023 — head of the Department of Applied Mathematics at the Institute of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, formed by merging the Department of Operational Research and Applied Mathematics.

In 1984 he defended a doctoral dissertation «Controlled and Adaptive Queueing Systems with a Variable Structure» and became a Doctor of Technical Sciences. He was awarded an academic rank of associate professor at the Department of Applied Mathematics by the Higher Attestation Commission on December 14, 1973, professor at the Department of Technical Cybernetics on September 26, 1986.

From 1983 to 2017 — Dean of the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics. As a dean, he provided the faculty with up-to-date infrastructure, trained teaching staff for higher school, and opened new degree programs. Two new degree programs opened at the TSU Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics in 19994-1998: Mathematical Methods in Economics (1994); Computer Security (1998). He was the head of the main bachelor and master degree programs «Applied Mathematics and Informatics».

A. M. Gortsev gave lectures on mathematical analysis, optimization methods, game theory and operational research, mathematical programming, controlled and adaptive queuing systems (QS), theory of difference equations, Markov queuing systems, mathematical models of information flows in telecommunication systems, and parameter estimation for doubly stochastic event flows. He co-wrote an electronic learning kit on optimization methods and an electronic textbook on game theory.

At the early stages of his scientific career, Alexander Mikhailovich studied the location of moving objects by passive direction finding from a moving carrier and processing of the received information. In 1971-1973, he studied pattern recognition: radio signals (including radar and communications signals) received in high-level noise. He proposed algorithms to recognize radio signals based on statistical hypothesis test. Later he studied controlled QS with variable structure that functioned in full a priori certainty as well as in full or partial a priori uncertainty (adaptive systems). A. M. Gortsev developed control optimization methods and formulated principles for constructing specific systems in communication problems and robotics. In later years his research interests migrated, and he studied random event flows, one of the major elements of QS. By implementing his results into satellite communication systems, it became possible to better forecast the conditions of on-board systems. In the early 1990s, within the school of Cybernetics at the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics, A. M. Gortsev had led research in controlled and adaptive QS with variable structure, which in the middle of 1the 990s evolved into the study of doubly stochastic event flows.

A. M. Gortsev prepared more than 20 candidates of science and one doctor of science, published more than 300 works. He participated in nearly 80 scientific symposia, conferences and schools-seminars. Since 1989, he has been chairman and organizer of a number of International, All-Russian and All-Union scientific conferences, in particular, chairman of the organizing committees of All-Union conferences on the analysis and synthesis of queuing systems and networks (Kiev, 1989; Odessa, 1990; Tomsk, 1991; Kaliningrad, 1992); for many years he was a member and co-chairman of the program committee of the International Conference «Computer-Aided Technologies in Applied Mathematics — ICAM».

Chief editor of Tomsk State University Journal of Control and Computer Science. From 2001 to 2023, A. M. Gortsev acted as chairman of the dissertational council in system analysis, management and information processing; member of the dissertation council in mathematical modeling, numerical methods and software packages.

Honorary Worker of Higher Professional Education of the Russian Federation (2003). Honored Worker of Higher Education of the Russian Federation (2011). Laureate of the Tomsk Region competition in education and science (1998). He received an M. V. Keldysh medal (1996) and the medal «50 Years of the Space Age» (2007) of the Russian Cosmonautics Federation, the insignia «For Merits in Education» of the Tomsk region (2015), the anniversary medal «400 Years of Tomsk» (2004), the anniversary medal «70 Years of the Tomsk Region» (2014), a medal «For Services to Tomsk State University» (1998), a silver medal «In Gratitude for Contribution to the Development of Tomsk State University»(2003).

Honored Dean of TSU (2018). He was awarded the Order of Friendship (2000), and the medal «For Distinguished Labor» (1981).