Return to Question

EDIT: I googled the resources online in English before asking this question here and found no answers. But after posting it here, I googled it in Russian, and found the following:

EDIT: I googled the resources online in English before asking this question here and found no answers. But after posting it here, I googled it in Russian, and found the following:

Владимир Игоревич Арнольд был номинирован на медаль Филдса 1974 году. Далее — изложение рассказа самого Арнольда; надеюсь, что помню его правильно. Всё было на мази, Филдсовский комитет рекомендовал присудить Арнольду медаль. Окончательное решение должен был принять высший орган Международного математического союза — его исполнительный комитет. В 1971 — 1974 годах вице-президентом Исполнительного комитета был один из крупнейших советских (да и мировых) математиков академик Лев Семёнович Понтрягин. Накануне своей поездки на заседание исполкома Понтрягин пригласил Арнольда к себе домой на обед и на беседу о его, Арнольда, работах. Как Понтрягин сообщил Арнольду, он получил задание не допустить присуждение тому филдсовской медали. В случае, если исполком с этим не согласится и всё же присудит Арнольду медаль, Понтрягин был уполномочен пригрозить неприездом советской делегации в Ванкувер на очередной Международный конгресс математиков, а то и выходом СССР из Международного математического союза. Но чтобы суждения Понтрягина о работах Арнольда звучали убедительно, он, Понтрягин, по его словам, должен очень хорошо их знать. Поэтому он и пригласил Арнольда, чтобы тот подробно рассказал ему о своих работах. Что Арнольд и сделал. По словам Арнольда, задаваемые ему Понтрягиным вопросы были весьма содержательны, беседа с ним — интересна, а обед — хорош. Не знаю, пришлось ли Понтрягину оглашать свою угрозу, но только филдсовскую медаль Арнольд тогда не получил — и было выдано две медали вместо намечавшихся трёх. К следующему присуждению медалей родившийся в 1937 году Арнольд исчерпал возрастной лимит. В 1995 году Арнольд уже сам стал вице-президентом, и тогда он узнал, что в 1974 году на членов исполкома большое впечатление произвела глубина знакомства Понтрягина с работами Арнольда.

Translation of the text (combination of Google translate and my knowledge of Russian)

Vladimir I. Arnold was nominated for the Fields Medal in 1974. Next - summary of the story of Arnold, I hope I remember it correctly. Everything was going fine, Fields Committee recommended an award to Arnold medal. The final decision was to be taken by the supreme organ of the International Mathematical Union - its executive committee. In 1971 - 1974 the vice-president of the Executive Committee was one of the greatest Soviet (and world) mathematicians, Academician Lev Semenovich Pontryagin. On the eve of his visit to the meeting of the Executive Committee, Pontryagin invited Arnold to his home for lunch and to talk about Arnold's work. As Pontryagin said then, he was ordered not to allow the award of Fields Medal to Arnold. In case the executive committee wouldn't agree and still try to award the medal to Arnold, Pontryagin was authorized to threaten the Soviet delegation's no-show in Vancouver at the next International Congress of Mathematicians, and Soviets leaving the International Mathematical Union. In order for the judgment of Pontryagin about the work of Arnold to be persuasive, Pontryagin, in his own words, had to know the work very well. Therefore, he invited Arnold to tell him in detail about his work, which Arnold did. According to Arnold, the questions Pontryagin asked him were very thorough, the talk with him was interesting, and the meal was good. I do not know whether Pontryagin had read out his threat, but Arnold did not receive the medal - and only two medals were given instead of the intended three. By the next award of medals Arnold (b. 1937) was too old for awarding the Fields Medal. In 1995, Arnold himself became vice-president, and then he heard that in 1974 the depth of Pontryagin's familiarity with Arnold's work made a great impression on the members of the executive committee.

Владимир Игоревич Арнольд был номинирован на медаль Филдса в 1974 году. Далее — изложение рассказа самого Арнольда; надеюсь, что помню его правильно. Всё было на мази, Филдсовский комитет рекомендовал присудить Арнольду медаль. Окончательное решение должен был принять высший орган Международного математического союза — его исполнительный комитет. В 1971 — 1974 годах вице-президентом Исполнительного комитета был один из крупнейших советских (да и мировых) математиков академик Лев Семёнович Понтрягин. Накануне своей поездки на заседание исполкома Понтрягин пригласил Арнольда к себе домой на обед и на беседу о его, Арнольда, работах. Как Понтрягин сообщил Арнольду, он получил задание не допустить присуждение тому филдсовской медали. В случае, если исполком с этим не согласится и всё же присудит Арнольду медаль, Понтрягин был уполномочен пригрозить неприездом советской делегации в Ванкувер на очередной Международный конгресс математиков, а то и выходом СССР из Международного математического союза. Но чтобы суждения Понтрягина о работах Арнольда звучали убедительно, он, Понтрягин, по его словам, должен очень хорошо их знать. Поэтому он и пригласил Арнольда, чтобы тот подробно рассказал ему о своих работах. Что Арнольд и сделал. По словам Арнольда, задаваемые ему Понтрягиным вопросы были весьма содержательны, беседа с ним — интересна, а обед — хорош. Не знаю, пришлось ли Понтрягину оглашать свою угрозу, но только филдсовскую медаль Арнольд тогда не получил — и было выдано две медали вместо намечавшихся трёх. К следующему присуждению медалей родившийся в 1937 году Арнольд исчерпал возрастной лимит. В 1995 году Арнольд уже сам стал вице-президентом, и тогда он узнал, что в 1974 году на членов исполкома большое впечатление произвела глубина знакомства Понтрягина с работами Арнольда.

Translation of the text:

Vladimir Arnold was nominated for the Fields Medal in 1974. The following is Arnold’s own version of the story; I hope I’m remembering it correctly. The matter seemed settled: the Fields Medal Committee recommended to award a medal to Arnold. The final decision was to be taken by the top administrative body of the International Mathematical Union, the Executive Committee. In 1971–1974 the vice-president of the Executive Committee was one of Soviet Union’s (even world’s) greatest mathematicians, Lev Semenovich Pontryagin (also a member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences). On the eve of his visit to the meeting of the EC, Pontryagin invited Arnold to his home for lunch and to talk about Arnold’s work. Pontryagin told Arnold he was instructed not to allow the Fields Medal to be awarded to him. In case the executive committee wouldn’t agree and would still try to award the medal to Arnold, Pontryagin was authorized to threaten that the Soviet delegation would boycott the next International Congress of Mathematicians in Vancouver, or even that the USSR would leave the IMU. However, in order for Pontryagin’s assertions about Arnold’s work to be convincing, Pontryagin said, he would need to know that work very well. That’s why he invited Arnold in order that he describe his work in detail. Arnold did. According to Arnold, the questions Pontryagin asked him were profound, the talk with him interesting, and the meal good. I do not know if Pontryagin had to make his threat known, but Arnold did not receive the medal—and only two medals were awarded instead of the intended three. By the next time the medals were being awarded, Arnold, born in 1937, was over the age limit. In 1995, Arnold himself became vice-president and learned that in 1974 the depth of Pontryagin’s familiarity with Arnold’s work made a great impression on the members of the EC.

Vladimir I. Arnold was nominated for the Fields Medal in 1974. Next - summary of the story of Arnold, I hope I remember it correctly. Everything was going fine, Fields Committee recommended an award to Arnold medal. The final decision was to be taken by the supreme organ of the International Mathematical Union - its executive committee. In 1971 - 1974 years vice-president of the Executive Committee was one of the largest Soviet (and world) Mathematics Academician Lev Semenovich Pontryagin. On the eve of his visit to the meeting of the Executive Committee Pontryagin invited Arnold to his home for lunch and talk about Arnold's work. How Pontryagin said then, he was ordered not to allow the award of Fields Medal to Arnold. In case the executive committee wouldn't agree and still try to award the medal to Arnold, Pontryagin was authorized to threaten the Soviet delegation's no-show in Vancouver at the next International Congress of Mathematicians, and Soviets leaving the International Mathematical Union. Pontryagin should know a lot about the work of Arnold, so his judgements would be persuasive. Therefore, he invited Arnold to tell him in detail about his work, what Arnold did. According to Arnold, asked him Pontryagin questions were very thorough, the talk with him - was interesting, and dinner - was good. I do not know whether the Pontryagin had read out his threat, but Arnold did not receive the medal - and only two medals were given instead of the intended three. By the next award of medals Arnold (b. 1937) was too old for awarding the Fields Medal. In 1995, Arnold himself became vice-president, and then he heard that in 1974 the members of the executive committee was impressed by the depth of insight Pontryagin made with Arnold's work.

Vladimir I. Arnold was nominated for the Fields Medal in 1974. Next - summary of the story of Arnold, I hope I remember it correctly. Everything was going fine, Fields Committee recommended an award to Arnold medal. The final decision was to be taken by the supreme organ of the International Mathematical Union - its executive committee. In 1971 - 1974 the vice-president of the Executive Committee was one of the greatest Soviet (and world) mathematicians, Academician Lev Semenovich Pontryagin. On the eve of his visit to the meeting of the Executive Committee, Pontryagin invited Arnold to his home for lunch and to talk about Arnold's work. As Pontryagin said then, he was ordered not to allow the award of Fields Medal to Arnold. In case the executive committee wouldn't agree and still try to award the medal to Arnold, Pontryagin was authorized to threaten the Soviet delegation's no-show in Vancouver at the next International Congress of Mathematicians, and Soviets leaving the International Mathematical Union. In order for the judgment of Pontryagin about the work of Arnold to be persuasive, Pontryagin, in his own words, had to know the work very well. Therefore, he invited Arnold to tell him in detail about his work, which Arnold did. According to Arnold, the questions Pontryagin asked him were very thorough, the talk with him was interesting, and the meal was good. I do not know whether Pontryagin had read out his threat, but Arnold did not receive the medal - and only two medals were given instead of the intended three. By the next award of medals Arnold (b. 1937) was too old for awarding the Fields Medal. In 1995, Arnold himself became vice-president, and then he heard that in 1974 the depth of Pontryagin's familiarity with Arnold's work made a great impression on the members of the executive committee.