Saint Petersburg school of the theory of linear groups. I: Prehistory (Q6060225)

This article marks the initial part in a captivating series of four survey articles chronicling the history of the St. Petersburg school of the theory of linear groups. The author outlines the plan as follows: ``This survey is subdivided into four parts. Part 1 is generic, it describes the prehistory and the pedigree of our algebra school. Part 2 is dedicated to the pioneering works of Andrei Suslin and his students of 1974--1982 on the structure theory of classical groups over rings, and their role in forming a more general context of this area. Part 3 discusses the works of Zenon Ivanovich Borewicz and his students of the same period, dedicated to the description of subgroups in classical groups and related problems. Finally, in Part 4 we briefly outline the subsequent development and state some of the most striking results in this area obtained in St. Petersburg in the recent decades.'' The opening installment of this planned survey explores the school's ``prehistory'' delving into its origins and tells about the visionary founders who shaped it. Regrettably, we must announce the passing of the author, a greatly esteemed authority in this field, on September 14, 2023.