▁Brow der ▁( a ▁special ist ▁in ▁function ▁al gebras ). ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁ ▁Felix ▁Earl ▁Brow der ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁in ▁Moscow , ▁Russia , ▁while ▁his ▁American ▁father ▁Earl ▁Brow der , ▁born ▁in ▁W ich ita , ▁Kansas , ▁was ▁living ▁and ▁working ▁there . ▁He ▁had ▁gone ▁to ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 . ▁His ▁mother ▁was ▁Ra issa ▁Ber k mann , ▁a ▁Russian ▁Jewish ▁woman ▁from ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁whom ▁Brow der ▁met ▁and ▁married ▁while ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁As ▁a ▁child , ▁Felix ▁Brow der ▁moved ▁with ▁his ▁family ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁where ▁his ▁father ▁Earl ▁Brow der ▁for ▁a ▁time ▁was ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Commun ist ▁Party . ▁The ▁father ▁ran ▁for ▁US ▁president ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁A ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁book ▁by ▁Alexander ▁V ass il iev , ▁published ▁after ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁said ▁that ▁Earl ▁Brow der ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁as ▁a ▁sp y ▁for ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁ ▁Felix ▁Brow der ▁was ▁a ▁child ▁pro dig y ▁in ▁mathematics ; ▁he ▁entered ▁M IT ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 6 ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁and ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁with ▁his ▁first ▁degree ▁in ▁mathematics . ▁At ▁M IT ▁he ▁achieved ▁the ▁rank ▁of