Milan Raspopović

Milan Raspopović (Serbian Cyrillic: Милан Распоповић), PhD, was one of the founders of Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade (abbr. MG) in 1963, the first MG physics professor from 1966, and the creator of the unique MG Physics Curriculum.[1] He was also an MG professor of electronics, and MG principal and director, elected to office in 1970.[2] Raspopović served in parallel as both Principal and Director of Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade for 32 years, until his retirement in 2002.

prof. dr sci Milan Raspopović
професор dr Милан Распоповић
3rd director of Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade
In office
1970–2001
Preceded byDušan Adnađević, dr sci mathematics, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Belgrade
Succeeded byLjubomir Protić, dr sci mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade
Personal details
Alma materUniversity of Belgrade

During the service of Milan Raspopović, Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade achieved results unique in the world: more than 400 medals from the International Science Olympiads.

Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade is a special school for gifted and talented students of mathematics, physics and informatics, ranked number one at International Science Olympiads by the number of medals won by its students.

Education

Milan Raspopović received his doctoral titles in Physics and in Philosophy from University of Belgrade. His previous doctoral work was in cosmic ray physics. The research was interrupted and then abandoned after the funding for cosmic and particle physics research, provided by the Government of Yugoslavia, came to a halt.[3]

He successfully defended his physics thesis entitled "The impact of Ludwig Boltzmann’s teachings and understandings on physics and philosophy" at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Career
Principals of Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade (MGB): mathematician Ljubomir Protić (2002–2004), mathematician Vladimir Dragović (2004–2008), physicist Milan Raspopović (1970–2001). All three were university professors.

Raspopović was the first professor of Physics at Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade – Special Mathematical Gymnasium (a school of Special National Interest), and the creator of the school's unique physics and overall curriculum.[3][4][5][10] He was one of the founders of the Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade in Belgrade, along with Vojin Dajović, who was a professor at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Belgrade. Their basic model was Kolmogorov School at Moscow University which had been launched in Moscow a year earlier, in 1965, under Lomonosov Moscow State University, by renowned mathematician Andrei Nikolayevich Kolmogorov, and which was later named after him.

Raspopović taught university level courses at University of Belgrade, University of Niš, University of Kragujevac, and University of Montenegro.[10] During that time he was principal and director at Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade, where he developed a special curriculum in physics for MG students.[5][10][11]

Raspopović and Emilo Danilović, then Serbian Chief Scientific Advisor for physics, created the first MG curriculum in physics.[1] It had 50% more physics classes than in regular Gymnasiums with mathematical orientation or Mathematical and Technical High Schools.[1]

Raspopović introduced and developed scientific curricula for two new specializations in Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade, in 1977: Technician for Nuclear Physics, and Technician for Laser Physics, which both led to the Assistant in Mathematical and Technical Sciences Diploma.[1]

In 1969 he introduced and taught (from 1969 to 1980) electronics at the Mathematical Gymnasium.[1]

Textbooks

Raspopović is the author or co-author of over 30 textbooks and collections of assignments in physics, for all educational levels, from elementary schools to university level.[3][10][5] In the area of physics for elementary schools, as well as in the area of textbooks and collections of assignments for high schools of technical sciences (electrical engineering and mechanical engineering), for high schools of natural sciences and mathematics and natural science curricular stream in gymnasiums, in didactics, and including his special physics textbooks for Special School for Gifted Matematička gimnazija, professor Raspopović's books have the largest circulation in Serbia, Montenegro, and in former Yugoslavia, with a circulation of well over 15 million of issued printings during the previous 45 years.[3][10][5][11][8]

As a co-author, Raspopović signed textbooks with Academician Dragiša M. Ivanović – former Rector of University of Belgrade and professor of Theory of Nuclear Reactors,[12] Ivan Aničin – Chief of Nuclear Division at the Institute for Nuclear Sciences Vinča (former INN "Boris Kidrič"), Chief of Cosmic Ray Division and Low Background Laboratory of Institute of Physics Belgrade,[13] and Director of Doctoral Studies of High Energy Physics at University of Belgrade,[14] Dragomir Krpić – Chief of Chair of Experimental Elementary Particle Physics, three times Dean of the Faculty of Physics and President of the Board of Governors the Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, Darko Kapor from the Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Novi Sad, and many others from Academia.

Raspopović also co-authored textbooks and collections of solved problems with professors from Mathematical Gymnasium.[3][10][5][8]

Awards

Raspopovic was awarded the highest award in Serbia – Sretenjski orden (Sretenje Award) – by the President of Serbia, in February 2015, "for outstanding and exceptional merits for the Republic of Serbia and its citizens in educational and pedagogical activities".[15][16][17][18]

International results

Raspopović led the school as its principal and director for 32 years. During that time, the school achieved unique results worldwide regarding the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals won at the International Science Olympiads:

The school held records for winning more than 400 medals at international competitions and Olympiads, and for graduating scientists with approximately 2000 PhD's among its alumni.[19]

It was not unusual that most, and sometimes all, of the medals at Republics or Federal competitions in Serbia and in Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, in all categories and for every single grade, were won by students of Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade. Consequently, Yugoslavian teams for International Olympiads consisted of mostly or only students from Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade.[20] In 1974, a turbulent year for Yugoslavia when the new Constitution of Yugoslavia was introduced, 7 out of 8 members of Yugoslavian National Team for International Mathematical Olympiad – IMO, were from Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade. It caused political comment since Yugoslavia had six Republics and seven out of eight students for IMO came from Belgrade's Mathematical Gymnasium. The critics were answered when the Yugoslav team (7 out of 8 were MG students) came back from the IMO with five medals: two gold, one silver, and two bronze.[21] Yugoslavia ranked 5th in the world, and USSR and Yugoslavia were the only 2 countries that won two gold medals that year. Mathematical Gymnasium was the absolute winner among all schools in the world, and remained at that position to the present day. In 2010, the Serbian national team for International Mathematical Olympiad had MG students only. They ranked 10th in the world as a country (Serbia) and took the first place in the world as a school.[22]

Raspopović established Mathematical Gymnasium as the world leader in high school education in the fields of mathematics, physics, informatics, and computer programming. Under professor Raspopović's leadership.[19]

Retirement

Raspopović was professor in Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade from the school's foundation days in 1966, and was elected Principal and Director in 1970. He served as Principal and Director until his retirement, effective from 2002. He was succeeded as a Principal by Ljubomir Protić of the Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade.

Milan Raspopović remained an active member of the Mathematical Gymnasium Trust and Mathematical Gymnasium Scientific Board.

He is also an active writer and continued to revise and publish textbooks for elementary and high schools. In 2010, his books were printed in 200,000 copies, of which more than 150,000 copies were sold before December 2010.[3][5][8][10]

Spoken languages

Milan Raspopović is fluent in Russian, as well as in Serbo-Croatian and its derivatives and variants (Serbian, Croatian, Montenegrin, Bosnian). He also reads and uses English.

References
  1. History of Physics Department in Mathematical Gymnasium Archived 2 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine (in Serbian)
  2. History of Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in Serbian)
  3. Berić, Slavica. "Direktor sa najdužim mandatom". politika.rs. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  4. "9788617181466: Vizionarstvom ka vrhu : stvaralacki put Milana O. Raspopovica - AbeBooks - Miloje M. Rakocevic: 861718146X". www.abebooks.com. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  5. "Matematički Dositej". politika.rs. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  6. "Десет година Математичке гимназије". www.mg.edu.rs. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  7. "Монографија - 30 година Математичке гимназије". www.mg.edu.rs. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  8. "45 година Математичке гимназије". www.mg.edu.rs. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  9. Dick, Auguste; Kerber, Gabriele (1987), Ludwig Boltzmann: Katalog zur Ausstellung an der Zentralbibliothek für Physik in Wien (in German), Zentralbibliothek für Physik, p. 50, 1978 gibt es in Belgrad in Serbokroatisch ein Buch von M. Raspopovic: "Ludwig Boltzmann als Physiker und Philosoph".
  10. Milanović, Zavod za udžbenike by Saša. "VIZIONARSTVOM KA VRHU: STVARAL". www.knjizara.zavod.co.rs. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  11. User, Super. "Историјат". www.mg.edu.rs. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  12. Rectors of University of Belgrade Dragiša Ivanović (Serbian: Драгиша Ивановић)
  13. "LOW LEVEL RADIATION LABORATORY, old website". ipb.ac.rs. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  14. "Fizicki fakultet - akreditacija ustanove". 147.91.68.190. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  15. Serbia, RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of. "Nikolić uručio odlikovanja". rts.rs. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  16. "Predsednik Nikolić odlikovao Batu Živojinovića, Milenu Dravić, Boru Todorovića, Noama Čomskog..." www.telegraf.rs. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  17. "Odlikovani 2012-16". vreme.com. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  18. User, Super. "Милан Распоповић одликован Сретењским орденом". mg.edu.rs. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  19. "Google Translate". translate.google.com. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  20. History of Mathematics Department in Mathematical Gymnasium (in Serbian)
  21. 16th IMO 2010 – 16th International Mathematical Olympiad
  22. 51st IMO 2010 – 51st International Mathematical Olympiad
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