DIGITAL PRESERVATION OF SOVIET-ERA DISCRETE MATHEMATICS: ZYKOV'S ALGEBRAIC PEDAGOGY AND ITS STRUCTURAL LEGACY IN CONTEMPORARY GEODETIC GRAPH THEORY

The mathematical traditions developed within the Soviet school of discrete mathematics produced distinctive approaches to algebra, graph theory, and combinatorial structures that remain insufficiently represented in contemporary English-language literature. Among these traditions, the pedagogical framework developed by Professor Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Zykov (1922-2013) emphasized structural reasoning, algebraic systems, and graph-theoretical intuition instead of computational formalism. This article examines the importance of digitally preserving these educational and scientific traditions through editorial, translational, and research contributions. Particular attention is given to the preservation and expansion of Zykov’s 1991 algebra curriculum, which introduces non-determinant approaches to matrix invertibility, early treatment of matrix rings, structural interpretations of rectangular matrices, and the independent development of algebraic concepts. The paper further discusses how these pedagogical principles provide a conceptual foundation for modern investigations of geodetic and k-geodetic graphs, illustrating how algebraic structures can be employed to study graph uniqueness, homeomorphism, and structural classification.