This book examines the life and work of mathematician Giovanni Battista Guccia, founder of the Circolo Matematico di Palermo and its renowned journal, the Rendiconti del Circolo matematico di Palermo.
The authors describe how Guccia, an Italian geometer, was able to establish a mathematical society in Sicily in the late nineteenth century, which by 1914 would grow to become the largest and most international in the world, with one of the most influential journals of the time. The book highlights the challenges faced by Guccia in creating an international society in isolated Palermo, and places Guccias activities in the wider European context through comparisons with the formation of the London Mathematical Society and the creation of Mittag-Lefflers Acta Mathematica in Stockholm.
Based on extensive searches in European archives, this scholarly work follows both historical and scientific treads, and will appeal to those interested in the history of mathematics and science in general.
1 Background.- 2 The Formative Years.- 3 The Scientific Context.- 4 The Projects of Guccia: First Stage.- 5 The Projects of Guccia: Second Stage.- 6 Maximum Splendor.- 7 Epilogue.- 8 Appendices.- Bibliography.- References.
I recommend this book to mathematicians and historians of mathematics to learn about the story of this extraordinary man and his Circolo. (Rossana Tazzioli, The Mathematical Intelligencer, Vol. 42 (1), 2020)
It is a rich book that goes beyond a mere biography of a central actor of modern Italian mathematics. & Particularly remarkable is the use of various European archives, which had never been available to the public before. Readers can thus dive into the rich historical material, as the book offers a number of good quality reproductions of the archival matel“#
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