Chebyshev has given his name to results in probabilityand analysis, one of the first Russian mathematicians by birth to be so recognized. His work reflected a great deal of mathematical sophistication, making connections between different areas and generalizing techniques. He played a primary role in establishing a viable mathematical curriculum at St. Petersburg University, which laid the foundations for subsequent achievements in Russian mathematics.

Pafnuty Lvovich Chebyshev was born on May 16, 1821 in Okatovo in the Kaluga region of Russia. His father, Lev Pavlovich Chebyshev, was a former army officer. In 1832, the family moved to Moscow, where Chebyshev was educated at home under the instruction of an author of popular arithmetics. As a result, he was well prepared when he enrolled in Moscow University in 1837. There, Chebyshev studied physics and mathematics.

In 1841, Chebyshev graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and within two years he had passed his master's...