Guido Stampacchia
Encyclopedia
Guido Stampacchia was a 20th century mathematician
.
Stampacchia was born in Naples, Italy
. He obtained his high school certification from the Liceo-Ginnasio Giambattista Vico
in Naples in classical subjects, although he showed stronger aptitude for mathematics
and physics
.
In 1940 he was admitted to the Scuola Normale Superiore
of Pisa
for undergraduate studies in pure mathematics
. He was drafted in March 1943 but nevertheless managed to take examinations during the summer before joining the resistance movement against the Germans
in the defense of Rome in September. He was discharged in June 1945.
In 1944 he won a scholarship to the University of Naples which allowed him to continue his studies. In the 1945-1946 academic year he declined a specialization at the Scuola Normale in the Faculty of Sciences in favour or an assistant position at the Naval Institute at Naples. In 1949 he was appointed as assistant with tenure to the chair of mathematical analysis, and in 1951 he obtained his habilitation.
In 1952 won a national competition for the chair at the University of Palermo
. He was nominated Professor on Probation at the University of Genoa
later the same year and was promoted to full Professor in 1955.
He married fellow student Sara Naldini in October 1948. Children Mauro, Renata, Giulia, and Franca were born in 1949, 1951, 1955 and 1956 respectively.
Stampacchia was active in research and teaching throughout his career. He made key contributions to a number of fields, including calculus of variation
and differential equations. In 1967 Stampacchia was elected President of the Unione Matematica Italiana. It was about this time that his research efforts shifted toward the emerging field of variational inequalities, which he modeled after boundary value problem
s for partial differential equations.
Stampacchia accepted the position of Professor Mathematical Analysis at the University of Rome
in 1968 and returned to Pisa in 1970. He suffered a serious heart attack in early 1978 and died of heart arrest on April 27 of that year.
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....
.
Stampacchia was born in Naples, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He obtained his high school certification from the Liceo-Ginnasio Giambattista Vico
Giambattista Vico
Giovanni Battista ' Vico or Vigo was an Italian political philosopher, rhetorician, historian, and jurist....
in Naples in classical subjects, although he showed stronger aptitude for mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
.
In 1940 he was admitted to the Scuola Normale Superiore
Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
The Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, also known in Italian as Scuola Normale , is a public higher learning institution in Italy. It was founded in 1810, by Napoleonic decree, as a branch of the École Normale Supérieure of Paris...
of Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
for undergraduate studies in pure mathematics
Pure mathematics
Broadly speaking, pure mathematics is mathematics which studies entirely abstract concepts. From the eighteenth century onwards, this was a recognized category of mathematical activity, sometimes characterized as speculative mathematics, and at variance with the trend towards meeting the needs of...
. He was drafted in March 1943 but nevertheless managed to take examinations during the summer before joining the resistance movement against the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in the defense of Rome in September. He was discharged in June 1945.
In 1944 he won a scholarship to the University of Naples which allowed him to continue his studies. In the 1945-1946 academic year he declined a specialization at the Scuola Normale in the Faculty of Sciences in favour or an assistant position at the Naval Institute at Naples. In 1949 he was appointed as assistant with tenure to the chair of mathematical analysis, and in 1951 he obtained his habilitation.
In 1952 won a national competition for the chair at the University of Palermo
University of Palermo
The University of Palermo is a university located in Palermo, Italy, and founded in 1806. It is organized in 12 Faculties.-History:The University of Palermo was officially founded in 1806, although its earliest roots date back to 1498 when medicine and law were taught there...
. He was nominated Professor on Probation at the University of Genoa
University of Genoa
The University of Genoa is one of the largest universities in Italy.Located in Liguria on the Italian Riviera, the university was founded in 1471. It currently has about 40,000 students, 1,800 teaching and research staff and about 1,580 administrative staff.- Campus :The University of Genoa is...
later the same year and was promoted to full Professor in 1955.
He married fellow student Sara Naldini in October 1948. Children Mauro, Renata, Giulia, and Franca were born in 1949, 1951, 1955 and 1956 respectively.
Stampacchia was active in research and teaching throughout his career. He made key contributions to a number of fields, including calculus of variation
Calculus
Calculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem...
and differential equations. In 1967 Stampacchia was elected President of the Unione Matematica Italiana. It was about this time that his research efforts shifted toward the emerging field of variational inequalities, which he modeled after boundary value problem
Boundary value problem
In mathematics, in the field of differential equations, a boundary value problem is a differential equation together with a set of additional restraints, called the boundary conditions...
s for partial differential equations.
Stampacchia accepted the position of Professor Mathematical Analysis at the University of Rome
University of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
in 1968 and returned to Pisa in 1970. He suffered a serious heart attack in early 1978 and died of heart arrest on April 27 of that year.