Abstract
Luigi Cremona (1830–1903) was one of the leading figures in Italian mathematics in the 19th century. He is also remembered for his commitment to education and the diffusion of mathematical culture in Italy. This paper presents the text of a lecture by Cremona about projective geometry, published in 1860 in a journal for teachers, the Effemeride della Pubblica istruzione, almost unknown until now.
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Notes
The word ‘analysis’ is used here in the meaning attributed to it, albeit improperly, by mathematicians, that is, as a synonym of ‘algebra’.
Chasles, Mémoire sur la dualité et l’homographie.
Ibid.
Aperçu historique sur les méthodes en géométrie.
References
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Acknowledgments
The author wishes to thank Dr. Raffaella Gobbo, in charge of the historical archive of the SIAM in Milano, for the valuable information and her research work.
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Appendix 1: Luigi Cremona
Appendix 1: Luigi Cremona
Luigi Cremona (Pavia 1830–Rome 1903) was one of the most celebrated Italian mathematicians in the 19th century. Twice winner—in 1866 and in 1874—of the distinguished Steiner Prize, then the most important international award in mathematics, with his discovery of birational transformations Cremona effectively closed the era of projective geometry to usher in that of algebraic geometry, becoming the founder of the celebrated Italian school in this area. A teacher at the University of Bologna, at the Politecnico di Milano and, lastly, at the Scuola d’applicazione (Engineering School) and at the University of Rome, Cremona is often remembered, in addition to being a great mathematician, for his strong commitment to education and to the diffusion of mathematical culture in Italy.
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Scoth, R. A proemial speech by Luigi Cremona ‘On the teaching of higher geometry’. Lett Mat Int 4, 13–20 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40329-016-0122-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40329-016-0122-8