Bento de Jesus Caraça
Encyclopedia
Bento de Jesus Caraça, GCSE, GOL
(April 18, 1901 – June 25, 1948) was an influential Portuguese
mathematician
, economist
and statistician
. Caraça was also a member of the Portuguese Communist Party
and so, he became one of the most famous personalities in the resistance against the Fascist regime led by António Oliveira Salazar.
Caraça was born in Vila Viçosa
, Évora District, in the south of Portugal. He was the son of two peasants, João António Caraça and Domingas da Conceição Espadinha. He lived his first years in the family's farm and he managed to learn how to read with another peasant, José Percheiro.
The great easiness in learning new things that Caraça demonstrated made the spouse of the owner of the farm where he lived to take care of his education and, in 1911, Caraça finished the first studies and left his hometown in order to study in Lisbon
. After finishing high school with top grades, Caraça joined the Superior Institute of Economic and Financial Sciences
On November 1, 1919, being a 2nd year student, Caraça was nominated 2nd assistant by his teacher Mira Fernandes. He graduated in 1923.
On December 13, 1924, he was nominated 1st assistant and, on October 14, 1927 he was nominated professor. On December 28, 1929 he was nominated cathedratic professor, teaching algebra
and infinitesimal calculus
.
Meanwhile, Caraça had participated in the foundation of the Portuguese Popular University, an institution created to give working class people the chance to study. Caraça became a member of the Administration Council when he was still a student and in 1928 he became President of the University. He carried out organizing the University's library and several conferences about Mathematics, Art, History and several other topics.
Order of Liberty
The Order of Liberty, or Freedom, is a Portuguese honorific civil order that distinguishes relevant services to the cause of democracy and freedom, in the defense of the values of civilization and human dignification...
(April 18, 1901 – June 25, 1948) was an influential Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
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....
, economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and statistician
Statistician
A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
. Caraça was also a member of the Portuguese Communist Party
Portuguese Communist Party
The Portuguese Communist Party is a major left-wing political party in Portugal. It is a Marxist-Leninist party, and its organization is based upon democratic centralism. The party also considers itself to be patriotic and internationalist....
and so, he became one of the most famous personalities in the resistance against the Fascist regime led by António Oliveira Salazar.
Caraça was born in Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 195.0 km² and a total population of 8,745 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in the District of Évora....
, Évora District, in the south of Portugal. He was the son of two peasants, João António Caraça and Domingas da Conceição Espadinha. He lived his first years in the family's farm and he managed to learn how to read with another peasant, José Percheiro.
The great easiness in learning new things that Caraça demonstrated made the spouse of the owner of the farm where he lived to take care of his education and, in 1911, Caraça finished the first studies and left his hometown in order to study in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. After finishing high school with top grades, Caraça joined the Superior Institute of Economic and Financial Sciences
On November 1, 1919, being a 2nd year student, Caraça was nominated 2nd assistant by his teacher Mira Fernandes. He graduated in 1923.
On December 13, 1924, he was nominated 1st assistant and, on October 14, 1927 he was nominated professor. On December 28, 1929 he was nominated cathedratic professor, teaching algebra
Algebra
Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
and infinitesimal calculus
Infinitesimal calculus
Infinitesimal calculus is the part of mathematics concerned with finding slope of curves, areas under curves, minima and maxima, and other geometric and analytic problems. It was independently developed by Gottfried Leibniz and Isaac Newton starting in the 1660s...
.
Meanwhile, Caraça had participated in the foundation of the Portuguese Popular University, an institution created to give working class people the chance to study. Caraça became a member of the Administration Council when he was still a student and in 1928 he became President of the University. He carried out organizing the University's library and several conferences about Mathematics, Art, History and several other topics.