0000000000266198
AUTHOR
Guillermo P. Curbera
The Projects of Guccia: Second Stage
G.B. Guccia had an ambitious goal: developing the Circolo Matematico di Palermo into the international association of mathematicians. The pursuit of this aim was influenced by his two most important mathematical relationships: with Vito Volterra and with Henri Poincare. The time came to obtain a professorship, and to consolidate the Circolo Matematico di Palermo. On both issues, G.B. Guccia succeeded, although through rather turbulent processes. The celebration of the Heidelberg International Congress of 1904 was a fundamental moment for the international expansion of the Circolo Matematico di Palermo. The Rome International Congress of 1908 gave G.B. Guccia the opportunity to realize his a…
The Scientific Context
We review three important processes: the foundation of national mathematical societies, in particular, the London Mathematical Society and the Societe Mathematique de France; the creation of research mathematical journals, focusing on Acta Mathematica and its founder Gosta Mittag-Leffler; and the organization of mathematics at international level, discussing the origins of the International Congresses of Mathematicians.
The Projects of Guccia: First Stage
The founding of the Circolo Matematico di Palermo and its journal, the Rendiconti del Circolo Matematico di Palermo are discussed. In order to understand the path that led to these two events, we follow G.B. Guccia’s post-doctoral journey in the summer of 1880 through Paris, Reims and London. Despite many initial difficulties, the early success of the society and the journal encouraged G.B. Guccia to lead the society towards internationalization.
The Formative Years
The school and university education of G.B. Guccia are presented. He studied in the new educational system created when the Kingdom of Italy was founded. Sicily had a long story of cultivators of mathematics, which we briefly review. Shortly after G.B. Guccia entered university the most important encounter of his life occurred: he met the geometer Luigi Cremona and moved to Rome. Five years later he presented his thesis under the guidance of Cremona.