I wrote a program to do symbolic integration as my undergrad project around 2010. I had (still have) Bronstein's book which I had pored over for the best part of a year. I had also visited his website[0] and found tons of useful info there. You know when you read so much of and about a person you almost feel like you know them?
It wasn't until right at the end of the project I happened across an obituary[1]. He'd been dead the whole time. It was a very strange feeling. Like I had been in communication with a ghost.
It's such a shame as I feel like he probably would have finished the Risch algorithm eventually.
I wonder if someone will make a publication out of his incomplete manuscripts. How many years do this kind of work take in the field of mathematics? Marx's Capital Volume IV took 20 years from his death to Kautsky's publication.
It wasn't until right at the end of the project I happened across an obituary[1]. He'd been dead the whole time. It was a very strange feeling. Like I had been in communication with a ghost.
It's such a shame as I feel like he probably would have finished the Risch algorithm eventually.
[0] https://www-sop.inria.fr/cafe/Manuel.Bronstein/ [1] http://www.ccas.ru/sabramov/ps/PCS56.pdf