Margulis

Margulis is a family name of Russian origin commonly found in Eastern Europe. The most prominent bearer of the name is Grigorii Yevgenyevich Margulis, born in 1946, who has become a leading figure in modern mathematics.

Margulis studied at Leningrad State University, completing his Ph.D. in 1973 under the supervision of Vladimir G. Deninger. His research primarily concerns the theory of Lie groups, ergodic theory, and number theory. In the 1970s he proved the Margulis lemma, a fundamental result about the structure of discrete subgroups of Lie groups. He further developed the Margulis superrigidity theorem, which has deep implications for the classification of lattices in semisimple Lie groups and for the study of homogeneous spaces.

In recognition of his contributions, Margulis received the Fields Medal in 1978 for work on rigidity phenomena in group actions, the Wolf Prize in Mathematics in 1989, and the Abel Prize in 2005, the latter awarded jointly with Peter Sarnak for their influence on the field. He has supervised numerous graduate students, many of whom have become prominent mathematicians in their own right.

The surname Margulis is also associated with various mathematical concepts named after Grigorii, such as the Margulis constant in hyperbolic geometry and the Margulis superrigidity property. While most references to "Margulis" pertain to the mathematician, the name also appears in genealogical records and in the context of Eastern European diaspora communities.