Lotfi Zadeh (Lutfali Rahim Asgerzade), the outstanding specialist in electrical engineering and artificial intelligence, mathematician, professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, one of the five founding members of the Eurasian Academy, passed away on September 6 in Berkeley, America.

Lotfi Zadeh was born in Baku in 1921 and moved to Iran, his father`s homeland in 1931 with his family.

In 1942, he graduated from the University of Tehran with a degree in electrical engineering and moved to America in 1944. He received an M.S. degree in electrical engineering from M.I.T.   (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in 1946 and received his PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Columbia in 1949. In 1957, he became a professor of the same university, and since 1959 he began his career at Berkeley University in California, where he lived and worked until the end of his life.

Lotfi Zadeh formulated theories such as fuzzy sets, fuzzy logic, and fuzzy algorithms and he is one of two specialists who developed the z-transform method in discrete time signal processing and analysis. These theories have found widespread applications in technological and social processes. Lotfi Zadeh founded Zadeh Institute for Information Technology at Berkeley University in California (ZIFIT). He was a member of many influential science and technology institutions and was awarded numerous awards, medals and honorary titles.  He is one of the most highly-cited scientists in the world.

In 2012 Professor Lotfi Zadeh, Turkish historian Halil Inalcık, neurosurgeon Mahmut Gazi Yasargil, composer Arif Melikov and mathematician scientist, researcher in the field of humanitarian and social sciences Hamlet Isakhanli initiated to establish an academy of a new type- Eurasian Academy. To this end, they had meetings in California, Istanbul, Ankara and Baku. On January 29, 2016, the official opening of the Eurasian Academy was held at Khazar University, Baku.

Professor Lotfi Zadeh was an outstanding scientist and a remarkable person who was away from religious, racial, nationalist views. He and his work influenced the development of science in Azerbaijan. Lotfi Zadeh visited Azerbaijan, met with the president of the country and was awarded.

Professor Lotfi Zadeh's memory will live in the hearts of those who know him and those who benefit from his works. I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Professor Lotfi Zadeh.

Professor Hamlet Isaxanli, the founder of Khazar University and Chairman of its Board of Directors and Trustees, the founding member of Eurasian Academy