Misha Verbitsky

Misha Verbitsky
Born	Mikhail Sergeyevich Verbitsky (1969-06-20) June 20, 1969 (age 55) Moscow, Soviet Union
Alma mater	Harvard University
Known for	Torelli theorem for hyperkähler manifolds
Scientific career
Fields	Mathematics
Institutions	Independent University of Moscow University of Glasgow HSE Faculty of Mathematics Université libre de Bruxelles Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada
Doctoral advisor	David Kazhdan

Misha Verbitsky (Russian: Ми́ша Верби́цкий, born June 20, 1969, in Moscow) is a Russian mathematician. He works at the Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada in Rio de Janeiro. He is primarily known to the general public as a controversial critic, political activist and independent music publisher.

Scientific activities

Verbitsky graduated from a Math class at the Moscow State School 57 in 1986, and has been active in mathematics since then.^[1] His principal area of interest in mathematics is differential geometry, especially geometry of hyperkähler manifolds and locally conformally Kähler manifolds. He proved an analogue of the global Torelli theorem for hyperkähler manifolds^[2] and the mirror conjecture^[3] in hyperkähler case. He also contributed to the theory of Hodge structures.^[4] His PhD thesis, titled Cohomology of compact Hyperkaehler Manifolds, was defended in 1995 at Harvard University^[5] under the supervision of David Kazhdan. He has held different positions, most prominently at the Independent University of Moscow (since 1996), the University of Glasgow (2002–2007), and the HSE Faculty of Mathematics (since 2010). He currently works at IMPA in Rio de Janeiro.

Lenin

Verbitsky's webzine :LENIN:, started around 1997, is one of the oldest Russian online projects and has been hugely influential in the shaping of Russian

Verbitsky's provocative writing style can be described as both aggressive and ironic, a mixture of gonzo journalism, profanity and surreal exaggeration which instantly captures the reader's attention. The critical response to his writings ranges from anger and disgust to fascination and widespread imitation (for example, his catchphrases "So it goes, Misha"^[6] and "Kill, Kill, Kill" have been plagiarised all over the Russian web).^{[citation needed]}

Ur-Realist Records

In 1998, Verbitsky founded the independent label UR-Realist Records to publish experimental and controversial underground music. Since then, over 40 albums have been released,^[7] including those of punk legend Grazhdanskaya Oborona and the neofolk band Rada i Ternovnik.

Personal life

Verbitsky currently lives in Rio de Janeiro and teaches at IMPA.

In December 2009,

In 2012, Verbitsky was convicted without his knowledge of copyright infringement. He had posted a photograph of a Russian politician who claims that his beard is trademarked.[10] The case has been appealed.

Bibliography

• Anticopyright: The Book (2002)
• :LENIN: an offering to Gods Unknown webzine
• Against Culture + Pt. 2
• Chaos and Underground Culture

References