Lyapunov Research Laboratory to appear at St Petersburg University

According to Sergey Mikushev, Vice-Rector for Research at St Petersburg University, the laboratory will enable the University’s specialists to conduct advanced research in the field of artificial intelligence and big data to solve a number of challenges within the priority areas of Russia’s scientific and technological development. The joint work of the University and its partners within the framework of the laboratory will be carried out over five years.

‘The research teams at St Petersburg University are involved in developments in the field of artificial intelligence and data science, and these studies cover a wide range of areas — from predictive analysis and optimisation to modelling chemical and physical processes. It is particularly important for us to take part in this work, addressing the real needs of our partners from industry, which will help us not only to set the right task but also to evaluate the results obtained in terms of the effectiveness of their application in practice,’ said Sergey Mikushev, Vice-Rector for Research at St Petersburg University.

Since 2020, the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science of St Petersburg University has been operating at the University. The Centre was established to develop the system of training personnel and research organisation, and in December 2023, St Petersburg University won a grant to create a modular digital platform for high-tech industries.

Aleksandr Bogdanov, Professor in the Department of Fundamental Informatics and Distributed Systems at St Petersburg University, has been appointed Head of the Lyapunov Laboratory at the University. The scientist is an expert in the design, development, and implementation of high-performance computing systems for solving complex scientific, engineering, research, and analytical problems. Under his direct supervision, the first experiment on distributed computing over the Internet took place with the participation of GMD (Germany) and SARA (the Netherlands). In 2003, Aleksandr Bogdanov developed the concept and architecture of a technical solution for the creation of a distributed supercomputing centre in Canada.

In a number of areas, including distributed and decentralised computing and work with central bank digital currencies, our team is the best in the world.

Aleksandr Bogdanov, Head of the Lyapunov Laboratory at St Petersburg University, Professor in the Department of Fundamental Informatics and Distributed Systems at the University

‘We have invented the first fourth-generation virtual blockchain system, learned how to make virtual multi-level distributed storage systems that will find application at the NICA collider in Dubna, and solved some problems of computational physics. We have no competitors,’ said Aleksandr Bogdanov.

Aleksandr Lyapunov, after whom the new laboratory at St Petersburg University will be named, graduated in mathematics from St Petersburg University in 1882, where his teacher was the eminent mathematician Pafnuty Chebyshev. Aleksandr Lyapunov’s most important achievement was the creation of a theory of the stability of equilibrium and motion of mechanical systems defined by a finite number of parameters. His work on the theory of stability of motion has gained worldwide recognition and is an important scientific basis for the development of the theory of various automatic devices, including flight control systems for aircraft and rockets.