Polyakov is known for a number of basic contributions to quantum field theory, including work on what is now called the 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole in non-Abelian gauge theory, independent from Gerard 't Hooft.
Very early in his career, in a 1965 student work, Polyakov suggested (with Alexander Migdal) a dynamical Higgs mechanism, slightly after but independently[REF] from the publications of Peter Higgs and others.