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Peter Saveliev

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Hello! My name is Peter Saveliev (rhymes with “leave”). I am a professor of mathematics at Marshall University, Huntington WV, USA.

My current projects are these two books:

The latter book includes parts of Discrete Calculus, which is based on a simple idea: $$\lim_{\Delta x\to 0}\left( \begin{array}{cc}\text{ discrete }\\ \text{ calculus }\end{array} \right)= \text{ calculus }$$

They are sold on Amazon:

Front cover.png Calculus Illustrated.png


I have been involved in research in algebraic topology and several other fields but nowadays I think this is a pointless activity. My non-academic projects have been: digital image analysis, automated fingerprint identification, and image matching for missile navigation/guidance.


  • Once upon a time, I took a better look at the poster of Drawing Hands by Escher hanging in my office and realized that what is shown isn't symmetric! To fix the problem I made my own picture called Painting Hands:
Correcting Drawing Hands by Escher

Such a symmetry is supposed to be an involution of the $3$-space, $A^2=I$; therefore, its diagonalized matrix has only $\pm 1$ on the diagonal. These are the three cases:

  • (a) One $-1$: mirror symmetry, then pen draws pen. No!
  • (b) Two $-1$'s: $180$ degrees rotation, the we have two right (or two left) hands. No!
  • (c) Three $-1$'s: central symmetry. Yes!


  • - Why is discrete calculus better than infinitesimal calculus? - Why? - Because it can be integer-valued! - And? - And the integer-valued calculus can detect if the space is non-orientable! Read Integer-valued calculus, an essay that makes a case for discrete calculus by appealing to topology and physics.
Mirror image of man.png
  • - The political “spectrum” might be a circle! - So? - Then there can be no fair decision-making system! Read The political spectrum is a circle, an essay based on the very last section of the topology book.
Political spectrum as circle distorted D.png