Statement of Concern for Prof. Mikhail V. Volkov

Ottawa, ON – The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) expresses its deep concern upon learning that Prof. Mikhail V. Volkov has been dismissed from his position at Ural Federal University in Russia, is under criminal investigation, and is banned from traveling. Prof. Volkov is a renowned Russian leader in semigroup theory, known especially for his work on identities in finite semigroups and the combinatorics of finite automata. He is the editor-in-chief of Semigroup Forum, the leading international journal in semigroup theory. A conference to honour his achievements and his 70th birthday will be held this June in Lisbon.

In addition to his legal woes, Prof. Volkov is facing serious health issues currently requiring hospitalization. The Israel Mathematical Union, the French Mathematical Society, and the European Mathematical Society have issued statements of concern regarding Prof. Volkov’s well-being. We join them in urging Russian authorities to extend compassion and humanity to our esteemed colleague who has brought great honour to Russian mathematics.

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Hadi Salmasian (University of Ottawa) Chair, Human Rights Committee Canadian Mathematical Society chair-hrc@cms.math.ca

or

Dr. David Pike (Memorial University) Past President Canadian Mathematical Society past-pres@cms.math.ca