The Unione Matematica Italiana and its Bollettino, 1922–1928. National and international aspects. (English) Zbl 1502.01069
Mazliak, Laurent (ed.) et al., Mathematical communities in the reconstruction after the Great War 1918–1928. Trajectories and institution. Based on the international meeting, Marseilles, November 2018. Cham: Birkhäuser. Trends Hist. Sci., 31-61 (2021).
Summary: The Unione Matematica Italiana (Italian Mathematical Union, UMI) was created according to a motion approved in Brussels in July 1919 by the International Research Council, which promoted the creation of national scientific committees. The recent reorganization of the UMI Archive has made significant documents available to science historians. By using some of these unpublished letters and documents, we focus on the following issues: (i) The foundation and early years of the UMI and its journal, the Bollettino della Unione Matematica Italiana (BUMI); (ii) The international models for the new society, in particular the Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung, the Société mathématique de France and the American Mathematical Society; (iii) The impact of national and international events on the UMI, including the International Congresses of Mathematicians (ICM).
For the entire collection see [Zbl 1483.01004].
For the entire collection see [Zbl 1483.01004].
MSC:
| 01A74 | History of mathematics at institutions and academies (non-university) |
Keywords:
Unione Matematica Italiana; Bollettino della Unione Matematica Italiana; International Research Council; International Mathematical UnionReferences:
| [1] | See Jahresberichte der Deutschen Mathematiker Vereinigung, 29, 1920, p. 42, where it is reported: “Volterra-Rom ist aus der Vereinungung ausgetreten.” 41 BUMI 1 1922, p. 102. |
| [2] | See Gispert (2015). The SMF was created in 1872, and the first issue of its journal, the Bulletin de la Société Mathématique de France (BSMF), is dated 1872-1873. Initially 60 |
| [3] | See Schappacher and Kneser (1990). The DMV was founded in 1890, and published the first issue of its journal, Jahresbericht der Deutschen Mathematiker-Vereinigung (JDMV), in 1891. The members of the DMV came from different milieus-almost half of the members were university professors, but there were also astronomers, physicists, geologists, and secondary school teachers. For a comparison between SMF and DMV, see Gispert and Tobies (1996). |
| [4] | See Parshall (2015, 2017). The New York Mathematical Society (NYMS) was founded in 1888 and became “American” (AMS) in 1894. The first issue of the NYMS journal came out in 1891 under the title Bulletin of the New York Mathematical Society (BNYMS). The society focused on research; see Art. II of its Statute, BNYMS, 1891, p. 15. 45 BUMI 1923, p. 40. |
| [5] | Proceedings of the International Mathematical Congress held in Toronto, August 11-16, 1924, edited by J. C. Fields, Toronto, 2 vols, The University of Toronto Press, 1928, I, pp. 23-24, 30-47. |
| [6] | The Italian mathematicians who presented short notes were: L. Tonelli, G. Fubini, G. Ricci-Curbastro (the note was presented by Severi), Giovanni Giorgi, G. Gianfranceschi, U. Puppini, C. Gini, E. Bortolotti, and G. Peano (BUMI 3, 1924, pp. 182-185). |
| [7] | «E’ ben strano che Fields si rivolga a me per queste designazioni mentre dovresti essere tu a farle che sei il capo della delegazione Italiana nelle tue qualità di Presidente dell’Unione Matematica Italiana.» (AS-UMI, Volterra to Pincherle, Roma July 4, 1924). Other details are in AS-UMI, E. Bortolotti to J. C. Fields, Bologna, June 29, 1924; J. C. Fields to E. Bortolotti, London, July 2, 1924; ANLV, Volterra to Pincherle, Rome April 3, 1924; Pincherle to Volterra, Bologna, April 5, 1924. |
| [8] | AS-UMI, A. Casati to S. Pincherle, Rome July 19, 1924. Casati provided 20,000 lire to support participation in the Congress. |
| [9] | See in particular AS-UMI, E. Bortolotti to J. C. Fields, Bologna June 29, 1924. |
| [10] | See Rasmussen (2007; 6), Schroeder-Gudehus (1978). |
| [11] | For more on Fields’ difficult position at the Toronto ICM and his personal relationship with Pincherle, see McKinnon Riehm and Hoffman (2011), especially Chap. 10. |
| [12] | Atti del Congresso Internazionale dei Matematici, Bologna 1928, I, Bologna, 1929, p. 113. · JFM 54.0048.07 |
| [13] | L. Amoroso, D. Birkhoff, E. Borel, G. Castelnuovo, M. Frechet, J. Hadamard, D. Hilbert, Th. Kármán, N. Luzin, U. Puppini, L. Tonelli, O. Veblen, V. Volterra, and H. Weyl. Borel did not participate in the congress, but his lecture was presented by Cartan (Capristo 2016; 298). |
| [14] | R. Marcolongo and W. Young talked about the history of mathematics and general issues about the mathematical method, respectively. |
| [15] | F. P. Cantelli, G. Darmois, B. de Finetti, R. A. Fisher, B. Hostinský, G. Pólya, and E. Slutsky. 95 Delegates from 13 out of 19 countries were present, see Atti del Congresso Internazionale dei Matematici, Bologna 1928, I, Bologna, 1929, p. 83. |
| [16] | L’Enseignement Mathématique, 27, 1928, pp. 194-202; 28, 1929, pp. 28-53. |
| [17] | Popular Astronomy Magazine 36, 1928, pp. 529-532. 98 BAMS 1929, pp. 201-204. |
| [18] | See Atti della Società Italiana per il Progresso delle Scienze, Bologna -30 ottobre-5 novembre 1926, Roma, SIPS, 1927, p. XIV. |
| [19] | Ibidem, pp. 29-31. |
| [20] | AS-UMI, Appunti della Seduta del Comitato ordinatore del Congresso, January 21, 1927. |
| [21] | AS-UMI, Promemoria, s.l. s.d. The original Italian text is: “Tutte queste quistioni […] saranno anche studiate nei riguardi della tecnica industriale.” |
| [22] | Section IV. Actuarial sciences (two Subsections): IV-A. Probability theory. -Mathematical statis-tics. -Error theory. -Means and interpolation. IV-B. Mathematical economics and actuarial science. Section V. Engineering: Hydraulics. -Aerodynamics. -Construction engineering -Cartography. -Industrial applications. |
| [23] | ”Il prof Tonelli avrebbe preferito che la nomina del Comitato d’onore fosse stata deferita ad un corpo tecnico quale il comitato ordinatore, o la Commissione esecutiva. Il prof Pincherle, presidente, osserva che in tale materia era necessario l’aver ricorso alla autorità politica, per evitare facili critiche […]” (AS-UMI, Verbale della seduta della commissione esecutiva del comitato ordinatore dated January 29, 1928). |
| [24] | The national government and the Ministry of Public Education provided 200,000 lire (approx-imately 180,000 in today’s euros). The municipality, the province, and the University of Bologna donated a total of 125,000 lire. See Atti del Congresso Internazionale dei Matematici, Bologna 1928, I, Bologna, 1929, pp. 18-19. |
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