The State Prize of Georgia was awarded posthumously to Alexey Yasonovich Gorgidze in 1998, six years after his death in Tbilisi. A mathematician and engineer whose career spanned the twentieth century, he contributed extensively to the fields of mechanics and elasticity theory while helping to establish the institutional infrastructure for scientific research within his home country.
Academic Formation and Early Career
Born in Kutaisi in 1907, Gorgidze began his formal scientific education in 1924 at the Physics and Mathematics Department of Tbilisi State University. He later pursued advanced studies at Leningrad State University, completing his program in 1935. By 1929, he had already commenced work at the Department of Theoretical Mechanics of the Georgian Technical University, marking the beginning of a long association with Georgia's technical and academic institutions.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Institutional Contributions
Gorgidze played a critical role in the development of the Andrea Razmadze Mathematical Institute under the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, serving as a senior researcher, scientific secretary, and deputy director between 1935 and 1954. He was instrumental in the organization and creation of the Institute of Mathematics. From 1940 to 1954, he served as an assistant to the president of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences. In 1938, he assumed the post of head of the Department of Theoretical Mechanics at the Georgian Polytechnic Institute while concurrently teaching various courses at Tbilisi State University.
Research in Elasticity Theory
His primary mathematical output focused on the numerical solution of plane problems related to the theory of elasticity. He developed precise methodologies for resolving complex issues involving the torsion and bending of prismatic bars. His work addressed both isotropic and anisotropic materials, as well as homogeneous and heterogeneous structures, providing rigorous analytical tools for the field.
Professional Leadership and Legacy
During the 1960s, Gorgidze initiated the Scientific-Methodological Seminar on Mechanics in Tbilisi. By 1970, he held positions within the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education of the USSR, serving on the Presidium of the Scientific-Methodical Council on theoretical mechanics. He also led the Research and Methodological Council on Theoretical Mechanics for Transcaucasia and Georgia and held membership in the Georgian Mathematical Union. Following his death in 1992, several commemorative honors were established, including a prize in his name at the Engineering Academy of Georgia in 1993 and the naming of a street in Kutaisi in his honor in 2001.
Fast facts
- Born: 17 May 1907, Kutaisi
- Died: 17 December 1992, Tbilisi
- Citizenship: Russian Empire, Democratic Republic of Georgia, USSR, Georgia
- Primary Fields: Mechanics, Elasticity Theory
- State Prize of Georgia: 1998 (posthumous)
- Honored Worker of Science of Georgia: 1969
- Primary Education: Tbilisi State University, Leningrad State University
Questions readers ask
What were the primary research interests of Alexey Gorgidze?
His work focused on the numerical solution of plane problems in the theory of elasticity, specifically regarding the bending and torsion of prismatic bars.
Which major institutions did he help develop in Georgia?
He was actively involved in the creation and organization of the Institute of Mathematics under the Georgian National Academy of Sciences.
Achievements
- State Prize of Georgia — 1998
- Held posts at Tbilisi State University
- Fields: mechanics and elasticity theory
