Igor Rostislavich Shaferevich

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Igor Rostislavich Shaferevich

Russian mathematician best known for his views on the relationship between religion and mathematics. An expert on algebraic geometry, Shaferevich created a stir when he advocated a variety of Neoplatonism. He argued that the independent discovery of many mathematical theories suggested their actual existence on another plane. He also felt, as did the ancient Greeks, that mathematics could serve as a bridge between religion and the physical world.