ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Sten Andersson is 80

Vladimir Ya Shevchenko

Received: 17 May 2012 / Accepted: 17 May 2012 / Published online: 20 June 2012

� Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

Abstract There is a special collection of contribution in

the August 2012 issue of Structural Chemistry honoring the

Swedish crystallographer Sten Andersson. This Encomium

emphasizes the exemplary characteristics of his oeuvre.

Keywords Sten Andersson � Structural chemistry �Mathematical modeling � Institute of Sandvik �Biomathematics

Sten Andersson with one of his virus models

I have long thought about how to write an Encomium for

the outstanding Swedish structural chemist Professor Sten

Andersson who is now 80 years of age. I would not be able

to review his complete scientific and organizational oeuvre,

because I specialize in a too narrow field of structural

chemistry and could not do justice to the enormous scale

of Sten’s ideas and achievements [1]. Perhaps it would be

better if I told you about those impressions of his work that

struck me (some of them I still do not completely under-

stand or accept), about his personality, and about his pla-

ce in science of the structure of matter.

My interactions with S. Andersson began 8 years

ago. Of course, I had met his name in the literature much

earlier and I was in particular impressed by the originality

of his approaches and the variety of his interests.

Let me start with some biographical data. S. Andersson

was born on Oland Island, located off the southern shores

of Sweden, a wonderful wooded place where, according to a

legend elves used to live, and where there is also an old

summer residence of the King of Sweden. The island is

60 km long and 10–15 km wide. No doubt, in such pla-

ces true talents should be born.

After studying at Stockholm University, Department of

Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Stan moved to Austra-

lia, for a new job in Melbourne, at the Australian Centre

for Scientific Research (CSIRO), where he was invited by

A. D. Wadsley. I suppose that the decision to move to

Australia was in part motivated by the financial problems

of the young S. Andersson. Returning from Australia,

he joined the National Institute of Defense in Stockholm

(1963–1971), and then he moved to the University of Lund

(1971–1996). In 1996, he organized his own Institute of

Sandvik in Lottorp.

I would like to make some digressions here. The

twentieth century was the time of flourishing for structural

Vladimir Ya Shevchenko is the Guest Editor of the special collection

of contributions honoring Sten Andersson.

V. Y. Shevchenko (&)

Grebenshchikov Institute of Silicate Chemistry, Russian

Academy of Sciences, Nab. Makarova 2, St. Petersburg, Russia

199034

e-mail: shevchenko@isc.nw.ru

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Struct Chem (2012) 23:943–944

DOI 10.1007/s11224-012-0074-3

inorganic chemistry: new multi-component intermetallic

compounds—oxides, fluorides, and similar substances—

with complicated structures have been synthesized (both

for their scientific interest and their practical value). Many

outstanding scientists, including ‘‘structural chemists,’’

were involved in the process of their investigation.

Significant discoveries have been made; it would be too

difficult to enumerate them in a short paper, but the roster

of Nobel Prizes in Chemistry over the years could provide

some orientation. S. Andersson came to structural chem-

istry at the right time.

Even in his first works on mixed titania and chromia, he

showed his best qualities—the originality of ideas and a

wit and persistence in solving structural problems. The

onset of ‘‘the era of structural biology,’’ toward the end

of the twentieth century, has attracted many outstanding

researchers to this field. S. Andersson has also been

involved in studying viruses that are among the most

interesting objects of nature. He created a complete

mathematical theory of structure of these substances. This

is the course he developed during this period!

Meeting people, S. Andersson bears little resemblance

to the well-established image of a Swede. He is a very

impulsive, active, and very energetic person. He creates his

own unique model. In front of his house in Oland, in the

meadow, he built a neuron structure from three-meter

(!) long pine logs. He has created very small models as well.

His passion for scientific research has been contagious. I

myself am not a phlegmatic person, and sometimes in a

discussion with him I suddenly noticed that the two not so

young people were literally screaming at each other; not so

much for trying to convince each other; rather, just to shout

each other down.

A breadth of Stan’s views is amazing, as witnessed here

by the titles of some of his books: ‘‘Inorganic crystal

structures’’ (with B. G. Hyde as coauthor), ‘‘The language

of shape’’ (with co-authors), ‘‘The Mathematics of struc-

tures’’ (with M. Jacob), ‘‘The nature of mathematics and

the mathematics of nature’’ (with M. Jacob), and ‘‘Bio-

mathematics: mathematics of biostructures and biody-

namics’’ (with co-authors).

Sten Andersson is 80, and I am lucky to know and

understand him—if only sometimes. How many more

young people engaged in the field of structural chemistry

will have their good fortune to learn from his publications

and to benefit from meeting him?

Reference

1. An excellent review of S. Andersson’s works is in Solid State

Sciences (2003, vol 5, N1)

944 Struct Chem (2012) 23:943–944

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