Probability theory, function theory, mechanics

the long version

This is a translation of the fifth and final volume in a special cycle of publications in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Academy of Sciences in the USSR. The purpose of the special cycle was to present surveys of work on certain important trends and problems pursued at the Institute. Because the choice of the form and character of the surveys were left up to the authors, the surveys do not necessarily form a comprehensive overview, but rather represent the authors' perspectives on the important developments. The survey papers in this collection range over a variety of areas, including - probability theory and mathematical statistics, metric theory of functions, approximation of functions, descriptive set theory, spaces with an indefinite metric, group representations, mathematical problems of mechanics and spaces of functions of several real variables and some applications.