Roman Mikhaylov


Roman Valeryevich Mikhailov is a Russian mathematician, writer, and film and theatre director. He holds a Doctor of Sciences degree in physics and mathematics and is a professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Mikhailov is the author of more than 60 scientific publications and a monograph in algebra and topology, and is also a novelist and independent filmmaker.
He is a specialist in homological algebra, homotopy theory, and group theory. He was an invited speaker at the 7th European Congress of Mathematics and at the International Congress of Mathematicians. In 2021, he received the Andrei Bely Prize for prose.
YT romamikhailov

Education

Mikhailov graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University in 2001. In 2003, he defended his PhD dissertation at the Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and in 2010 defended his doctoral dissertation entitled Homotopy Theory of Normal Series in Groups. He later worked at the Steklov Institute and held research positions at Saint Petersburg State University, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the University of Latvia.

Scientific work

Mikhailov's research interests include homological and homotopical algebra, algebraic K-theory, group theory, group rings, and category theory. He solved or substantially advanced several long-standing problems in algebra, including problems posed by Aldridge Bousfield, Gilbert Baumslag, Levine, and Plotkin.
Together with Laurent Bartholdi, Mikhailov solved the dimension subgroup problem, open for more than 80 years, showing that arbitrary finite abelian groups may occur as subgroups of dimension quotients. Their proof relies on homotopy groups of spheres. The work was recognized by the London Mathematical Society as one of the best papers published in 2020–2023.
Mikhailov introduced several concepts in group theory and homotopy theory, including homotopy patterns, pattern inflations, FR-languages, transfinite parafreeness, and metabelian telescopes. At the ICM 2022 he presented a research program applying homotopy patterns to problems in group rings.
In 2022, Mikhailov announced his withdrawal from active academic research.

Literature

Mikhailov is the author of several experimental novels and short-story collections, including Ravinagar, The Beautiful Night of All People, Berries, and Wait for Summer and See What Happens. His prose has been praised by writer Mikhail Elizarov and philosopher Yoel Regev.
In 2021, he received the Andrei Bely Prize for his novel Wait for Summer and See What Happens.

Film

Mikhailov made his directorial film debut with A Fairy Tale for the Old, co-directed with actor Fyodor Lavrov; the film won the main prize at the Spirit of Fire Film Festival.
His subsequent films include Snow, Sister, and Wolverine, Heritage, October Vacation, Let’s Go to Macau, We Need to Make Films about Love, and Firebird.
In 2024 he completed his first multi-episode project, Journey to the Sun and Back, based on his novel Wait for Summer and See What Happens.

Public stance

Since December 2020, Mikhailov has been listed in the database of the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets due to his visit to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics in 2016.

Selected awards

Science

Literature

  • Andrei Bely Prize for Prose

Film

  • Spirit of Fire Film Festival – Grand Prize
  • Gorky Fest – Grand Prize

Filmography