Sergei K. Godunov

Godunov's most influential work is in the area of applied and numerical mathematics, particularly in the development of methodologies used in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and other computational fields. Godunov's theorem (Godunov, 1959) (also known as Godunov's order barrier theorem) : Linear numerical schemes for solving partial differential equations, having the property of not generating new extrema (a monotone scheme), can be at most first-order accurate. Godunov's scheme is a conservative numerical scheme for solving partial differential equations. In this method, the conservative variables are considered as piecewise constant over the mesh cells at each time step and the time evolution is determined by the exact solution of the Riemann (shock tube) problem at the inter-cell boundaries (Hirsch, 1990).

On 1–2 May 1997 a symposium entitled: Godunov-type numerical methods, was held at the University of Michigan to honour Godunov. These methods are widely used to compute continuum processes dominated by wave propagation. On the following day, 3 May, Godunov received an honorary degree from the University of Michigan.

• 1946-1951 - Department of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow State University.
• 1951 - Diploma (M. S.), Moscow State University.
• 1954 - Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (Ph. D.).
• 1965 - Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (D. Sc.).
• 1976 - Corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1994 - Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Academician).
• 1997 - Honorary professor of the University of Michigan (Ann-Arbor, USA).

• 1959 - State Lenin Prize.
• 1972 - A.N. Krylov Prize of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• 1993 - M.A. Lavrentiev Prize of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

• Total variation diminishing
• Upwind scheme

• Godunov, Sergei K. (1954), Ph. D. Dissertation: Difference Methods for Shock Waves, Moscow State University.
• Godunov, S. K. (1959), A Difference Scheme for Numerical Solution of Discontinuous Solution of Hydrodynamic Equations, Mat. Sbornik, 47, 271-306, translated US Joint Publ. Res. Service, JPRS 7225 Nov. 29, 1960.
• Godunov, Sergei K. and Romenskii, Evgenii I. (2003) Elements of Continuum Mechanics and Conservation Laws, Springer, ISBN 0-306-47735-1.
• Hirsch, C. (1990), Numerical Computation of Internal and External Flows, vol 2, Wiley.

• Sergei K. Godunov at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
• Godunov's Personal Web Page
• Sobolev Institute of Mathematics