Press Release

NAS RA V. Ambartsumian Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO)
Press release 17.04.2022

MAMIKON MNATSAKANIAN’S 80TH ANNIVERSARY

On April 17, Dr. Mamikon A. Mnatsakanian, an Armenian well-known astronomer, would celebrate his 80th anniversary (1942-2021).

Mamikon Mnatsakanian was born on April 17, 1942 in Yerevan, Armenia (former USSR). In 1965, he graduated from the Yerevan State University (YSU) and obtained B.Sc. degree. In 1969 he successfully defended the PhD thesis in the field of “Generalized General Theory of Relativity” at YSU and in 1984 obtained the degree of Doctor of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics in “Theoretical and Mathematical Physics and Astrophysics” (topic: “New Apparatus in Radiation Transfer Theory”) by USSR Supreme Ministry' Highest Accreditation Commission, Moscow.

In 1985, he obtained a Diploma of Senior Scientific Researcher by USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1965-1991 he worked as a Researcher (Junior, Senior, Major, Leading, Laboratory Head) in Theoretical Astrophysics at Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO).

In 1972-1985 he was the Scientific Secretary of BAO, responsible for scientific projects, publications, conferences, external relationships of the Observatory. In 1975-1985 he was a Scientific Secretary of Specialized Board awarding USSR Doctoral Degrees in Astrophysics (over 50 cases). In 1977-1991 he worked as an Associate Professor, Professor at Departments of Theoretical Physics, Astrophysics, and Mathematical Modeling at YSU. In 1988-1991 he worked as Director of Center for Mathematical Modeling of Physical Processes at Armenian Academy of Sciences. He was the Founder and Head of Dept. of Mathematical Modeling at YSU (Division of Physics). In 1991-1992 he worked as a Mathematics Education Consultant, creating problems for CA Assessment Program at California State Department of Education, Sacramento.

In 1993-1996 he worked as a Researcher, co-author, creating problems and Investigations for High School Textbooks “CPM” (Eisenhower grant) at UC Davis, Davis, CA (Experimental teaching of own course “Visual Calculus” at UC Davis and Davis Senior High School). In 1996-1997 he was a Manipulative curriculum developer and experimental teacher of “Visual Calculus” for Elementary Schools, South Land Park Montessori School, Sacramento, CA. Since January of 1997 he was a Project Associate, “Project Mathematics” at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (Designing “Visual Calculus” and interactive educational animations).

He was awarded USSR Academy of Sciences Distinction Medal for Excellence in Sciences and AAS Distinction Award for "Generalized Theory of Gravity" in 1985, AAS Distinction Award for "Radiation Transfer Theory" in 1986, Lester Ford triple Award (Mathematical Association of America) for three papers in the American Mathematical Monthly in 2005, California Department of Energy Grant for development of the Mamikon Spinner in 2005, Lester Ford triple Award (Mathematical Association of America) for a paper in the American Mathematical Monthly in 2008 and Pearson “International Conference in use of Technology in Collegiate Mathematics” Award for computer interactive mathematics educational games and activities in 2011.

Mamikon Mnatsakanian published more than a hundred refereed papers in USSR and in USA on Generalized General Theory of Relativity with variable gravitational constant; Stellar Statistics and Dynamics of pulsars, flare stars, stellar associations and aggregates; New Methods and their Applications in Radiation Transfer Theory; Mathematics: visual calculus, geometry, integral and integro-differential equations; Popular mathematics, “Kvant” magazine of Soviet Academy of Sciences. He also published over 30 papers with Tom Apostol on new elementary solutions, with use of no formulas, equations or integration machinery, of advanced problems of calculus and their various generalizations. These works are included in “New Horizons in Geometry”, a 500-page book with 500 illustrations to be published by the Mathematical Association of America.

Meline Asryan