Anatoly Mikhailovich Polovko: at the Origins of Reliability Theory. To the 100th Anniversary of the Birth
Relevance. November 2021 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of the famous Soviet and Russian scientist Anatoly Mikhailovich Polovko. In this regard, it is useful to comprehend what he has done for science and to assess the impact of what he has done on science and society. The purpose of the article is based on the example of the results of the versatile activities of A.M. Polovko to form in young scientists’ minds an understanding of the fundamental processes of evolutionary and revolutionary approaches to the formation of new scientific knowledge, the laws of the development of science. Method. To achieve this goal such methods are used: 1) study of the scientist's works from primary sources and scientific and historical literature, 2) study of the scientist's biography from the memoirs of contemporaries and scientific and biographical literature, 3) comparison of the scientist's works with the works of other scientists in this field. Novelty. The article recreates for the first time the history of scientific and pedagogical activity of a prominent scientist and teacher A.M. Polovko, describes his results in the field of reliability theory and achievements in pedagogy. Result. To achieve the purpose of the article, domestic and foreign literature on reliability theory and science history was used, including the works of A.M. Polovko, the memoirs of his colleagues and students. The article describes the meaning of the scientific results of A.M. Polovko, the possibility of their use in technology. The scientific biography of the scientist has been recreated. His features as a person, scientist and teacher are described. Practical significance. The work will be useful for young scientists studying the methodology of scientific research, as well as specialists interested in the history of the origin and development of reliability theory.