Cataldo Agostinelli (16 December 1894 – 18 January 1988) was an Italian

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

who wrote 218 papers and several treatises in various disciplines which include dynamics of rigid systems,

celestial mechanics Celestial mechanics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the motions of objects in outer space. Historically, celestial mechanics applies principles of physics (classical mechanics) to astronomical objects, such as stars and planets, to ...

, dynamics of non-holonomic systems and magnetohydrodynamics about which he wrote (1966), commissioned by C.N.R., a broad monograph in which also the magnetohydrodynamics waves, the vortexes and the plasma theory are dealt with.Antonio Pignedoli, ''Necrologio di Cataldo Agostinelli'', Bollettino dell’Unione Matematica Italiana, serie VII, volume IIA, (1989), n. 3, pp. 353–369. He was member of the Accademia dei Lincei, President of the Accademia delle Scienze of Turin and member of several other local Academies.

Biography

Cataldo Agostinelli was born in Ceglie Messapico ( Brindisi) on 16 December 1894 and died in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...

on 18 January 1988. He graduated in 1920 in mechanical engineering at the

Polytechnic University of Turin The Polytechnic University of Turin ( it, Politecnico di Torino) is the oldest Italian public technical university. The university offers several courses in the fields of Engineering, Architecture, Urban Planning and Industrial Design, and is con ...

and later in mathematics in 1930. At first he carried out a technical activity, later (1931–38) he became a professor of

mechanics Mechanics (from Ancient Greek: μηχανική, ''mēkhanikḗ'', "of machines") is the area of mathematics and physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among physical objects. Forces applied to object ...

at the Regio Istituto Industriale (Royal Industrial college) "Omar" in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

. Rational mechanics lecturer since 1935, he was appointed for such subject at the

University of Turin The University of Turin (Italian language, Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Torino'', UNITO) is a public university, public research university in the city of Turin, in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region of Italy. It is one of the List ...

and of Modena. In 1940 he was the first of a group of three (the others were

Maria Pastori Maria Pastori (10 March 1895 - 17 April 1975) was an Italian mathematician. Life Pastori was born in Milan on 10 March 1895, to a family of eight children. The family was of limited means and could not afford education for the children beyond wh ...

and Giovanni Lampariello) at the public competitive examination for the teaching post in rational mechanics at the

University of Messina The University of Messina ( it, Università degli Studi di Messina; Latin: ''Studiorum Universitas Messanae''), known colloquially as UniME, is a state university located in Messina, Sicily, Italy. Founded in 1548 by Pope Paul III, it was the wor ...

: he was called to Catania from where, in the immediate postwar period, he was able to be transferred to

Notes

External links

An Italian short biography of Cataldo Agostinelli
in ''MATEpristem online''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Agostinelli, Cataldo 1894 births 1988 deaths 20th-century Italian mathematicians University of Turin alumni Academic staff of the University of Turin