Salvatore Pincherle
Encyclopedia
Salvatore Pincherle was an Italian
mathematician
. He contributed significantly to (and arguably helped to found) the field of functional analysis
, established the Italian Mathematical Union
(Italian
: "Unione Matematica Italiana"), and was president of the Third International Congress of Mathematicians
. The Pincherle derivative is named after him.
Pincherle was born into a Jewish family in Trieste
(then part of the Austrian Littoral
) and spent his childhood in Marseille
, France
. After completing his basic schooling in Marseille, he left in 1869 to study mathematics at the University of Pisa
, where he was a student under both Enrico Betti
and Ulisse Dini. After he graduated in 1874, he taught at a school in Pavia
until he received a scholarship in 1877.
After winning the scholarship and studying abroad at the University of Berlin
, Pincherle met Karl Weierstrass
. Pincherle contributed to Weierstrass' theory of analytic function
s, and in 1880, influenced by Weierstrass, he wrote an expository paper in the Giornale di Matematiche, which proved to be a significant paper in the field of analysis. Throughout his life, Pincherle's work greatly reflected the influence that Weierstrass had on him. He later collaborated with Vito Volterra
and explored Laplace transforms and other parts of functional analysis.
From 1880 until 1928, Pincherle was a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Bologna
. In 1901, collaborating with Ugo Amaldi, he published his main scientific book, Le Operazioni Distributive e loro Applicazioni all'Analisi.
In Bologna in 1922, he established the Italian Mathematical Union and became its first President and held the position until 1936. In 1924, he attended the Second International Congress of Mathematicians in Toronto
, Canada
. Four years later, he became President of the Third International Congress and played a significant role in re-admitting German mathematicians after a ban imposed because of World War I
. At this Congress, Jacques Hadamard
declared in his review lecture that Pincherle was one of the most prominent founders of functional analysis. Following the Third Congress, Pincherle retired from university.
In honor of the centenary of his birth, the Italian Mathematical Union edited a selection of 62 of his notes and treatise
s; they were published in 1954 in Rome
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
. He contributed significantly to (and arguably helped to found) the field of functional analysis
Functional analysis
Functional analysis is a branch of mathematical analysis, the core of which is formed by the study of vector spaces endowed with some kind of limit-related structure and the linear operators acting upon these spaces and respecting these structures in a suitable sense...
, established the Italian Mathematical Union
Italian Mathematical Union
The Italian Mathematical Union is a mathematics society based in Italy. It was founded on December 7, 1922 by Luigi Bianchi, Vito Volterra, and most notably, Salvatore Pincherle, who became the Union's first President...
(Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
: "Unione Matematica Italiana"), and was president of the Third International Congress of Mathematicians
International Congress of Mathematicians
The International Congress of Mathematicians is the largest conference for the topic of mathematics. It meets once every four years, hosted by the International Mathematical Union ....
. The Pincherle derivative is named after him.
Pincherle was born into a Jewish family in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
(then part of the Austrian Littoral
Austrian Littoral
The Austrian Littoral was established as a crown land of the Austrian Empire in 1849. In 1861 it was divided into the three crown lands of the Imperial Free City of Trieste and its suburbs, the Margraviate of Istria, and the Princely County of Gorizia and Gradisca, which each had separate...
) and spent his childhood in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. After completing his basic schooling in Marseille, he left in 1869 to study mathematics at the University of Pisa
University of Pisa
The University of Pisa , located in Pisa, Tuscany, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. It was formally founded on September 3, 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century...
, where he was a student under both Enrico Betti
Enrico Betti
-External links:...
and Ulisse Dini. After he graduated in 1874, he taught at a school in Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
until he received a scholarship in 1877.
After winning the scholarship and studying abroad at the University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
, Pincherle met Karl Weierstrass
Karl Weierstrass
Karl Theodor Wilhelm Weierstrass was a German mathematician who is often cited as the "father of modern analysis".- Biography :Weierstrass was born in Ostenfelde, part of Ennigerloh, Province of Westphalia....
. Pincherle contributed to Weierstrass' theory of analytic function
Analytic function
In mathematics, an analytic function is a function that is locally given by a convergent power series. There exist both real analytic functions and complex analytic functions, categories that are similar in some ways, but different in others...
s, and in 1880, influenced by Weierstrass, he wrote an expository paper in the Giornale di Matematiche, which proved to be a significant paper in the field of analysis. Throughout his life, Pincherle's work greatly reflected the influence that Weierstrass had on him. He later collaborated with Vito Volterra
Vito Volterra
Vito Volterra was an Italian mathematician and physicist, known for his contributions to mathematical biology and integral equations....
and explored Laplace transforms and other parts of functional analysis.
From 1880 until 1928, Pincherle was a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
. In 1901, collaborating with Ugo Amaldi, he published his main scientific book, Le Operazioni Distributive e loro Applicazioni all'Analisi.
In Bologna in 1922, he established the Italian Mathematical Union and became its first President and held the position until 1936. In 1924, he attended the Second International Congress of Mathematicians in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Four years later, he became President of the Third International Congress and played a significant role in re-admitting German mathematicians after a ban imposed because of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. At this Congress, Jacques Hadamard
Jacques Hadamard
Jacques Salomon Hadamard FRS was a French mathematician who made major contributions in number theory, complex function theory, differential geometry and partial differential equations.-Biography:...
declared in his review lecture that Pincherle was one of the most prominent founders of functional analysis. Following the Third Congress, Pincherle retired from university.
In honor of the centenary of his birth, the Italian Mathematical Union edited a selection of 62 of his notes and treatise
Treatise
A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
s; they were published in 1954 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.