I.V. Pottosin was born on February 21, 1933, in the Kujbyshev region. In 1955 he graduated from Tomsk State University majoring in ballistics and was employed in one of the organizations of the USSR Ministry of Defense until 1958.
Since 1958 I. V. Pottosin worked for the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, step by step filling positions from junior researcher to director of the institute. In recent years he headed the Laboratory of Systems Programming at A.P.Ershov Institute of Informatics Systems and the Department of Programming at Novosibirsk State University.
I.V. Pottosin took a leading position among Russian specialists in computer science.
It is hardly possible to overestimate his contribution to the formation and development of this research direction in our country.
He obtained fundamental results in the theory of program optimization, formulated main principles and typical schemes of optimizing compilers, and suggested efficient algorithms of optimizing program transformations. One of the world's first optimizing compilers ALPHA, the ALPHA-6 programming system, and the multi-language compiling system BETA were designed and developed on the basis of these results and with direct participation of I.V. Pottosin.
In recent years he mainly concentrated on the problems of designing programming environments for efficient and reliable program construction and headed the SOKRAT project aimed at producing software for embedded computers.
Research in program analysis and programming methodology was essentially inspired by this practical work, which greatly influenced its results.
Prof. Pottosin was actively involved in the training of computer professionals. For many years he headed the Department of Programming at Novosibirsk State University. There is a professor, eleven PhD holders and hundreds of graduates among his disciples.
I.V. Pottosin was awarded by the USSR Soviet of Ministers Prize, the Order "Znak Pocheta" and several medals. In 1999 he became an Honoured Scientist of Russian Federation.
On December 15, 2001, Igor Vassiljevich Pottosin passed away after a difficult illness.
An excellent scientist, an open-minded person, strong in spirit and simple in behaviour passed away. This is a great lost to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing Igor Vassiljevich and working with him. He will always remain in the memory of his friends, colleagues, and disciples.