Francesco Severi

Francesco Severi
Born	13 April 1879 Arezzo
Died	8 December 1961(1961-12-08) (aged 82) Rome
Nationality	Italian
Fields	Mathematics
Institutions	Università di Torino, Università di Bologna, Università di Padova, Università di Roma, Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica (now Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica Francesco Severi)
Alma mater	Università di Torino, 1900
Doctoral advisor	Corrado Segre
Other academic advisors	Enrico d'Ovidio, Federigo Enriques, Eugenio Bertini
Doctoral students	Aldo Andreotti, Enzo Martinelli, Guido Zappa
Other notable students	Luigi Fantappiè, Gaetano Fichera
Known for	Algebraic geometry, several complex variables
Influenced	Algebraic geometry, several complex variables
Notable awards	1906 Gold medal of the Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze detta dei XL, 1907 Prix Bordin (jointly with Federigo Enriques), 1908 Guccia Medal del Circolo Matematico di Palermo (awarded at the fourth International Congress of Mathematicians), 1913 "Premio reale" of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei

Francesco Severi (photo by Konrad Jacobs)

Francesco Severi (13 April 1879 – 8 December 1961) was an Italian mathematician.

Severi was born in Arezzo, Italy. He is famous for his contributions to algebraic geometry and the theory of functions of several complex variables. He became the effective leader of the Italian school of algebraic geometry. Together with Federigo Enriques, he won the Bordin prize from the French Academy of Sciences.

He contributed in a major way to birational geometry, the theory of algebraic surfaces, in particular of the curves lying on them, the theory of moduli spaces and the theory of functions of several complex variables. He wrote prolifically, and some of his work has subsequently been shown to be not rigorous according to the then new standards set in particular by Oscar Zariski and David Mumford. At the personal level, according to Roth (1963) he was easily offended, and he was involved in a number of controversies. He died in Rome of cancer.

Publications

• Severi, Francesco (2 mars 1931), "Sur une propriété fondamentale des fonctions analytiques de plusieurs variables" (in French), Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences 192: 596–599, Zbl 0001.14802, http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k3145g/f596 , available at Gallica. The paper containing the first proof of Morera's theorem for holomorphic functions of several variables.
• Severi, Francesco (1931a), "Risoluzione del problema generale di Dirichlet per le funzioni biarmoniche" (in Italian), Rendiconti della Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Naturali, series 6, 13: 795–804, JFM 57.0393.01, Zbl 0002.34202 . The announce of the solution of the Dirichlet problem for pluriharmonic functions for domains with real analytic boundaries. The English translation of the title reads as:-"Solution of the general Dirichlet problem for biharmonic functions".
• Severi, Francesco (1932), "Una proprietà fondamentale dei campi di olomorfismo di una funzione analitica di una variabile reale e di una variabile complessa" (in Italian), Rendiconti della Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Naturali, series 6, 15: 487–490, JFM 58.0352.05, Zbl 0004.40702 . The English translation of the title reads as:-"A fundamental property of the domain of holomorphy of an analytic function of one real variable and one complex variable". In this paper Severi describes the "passage from real to complex" method he developed in order to deal with several problems in the theory of functions of several complex variables.
• Severi, Francesco (1942–1943), "A proposito d'un teorema di Hartogs" (in Italian), Commentarii Mathematici Helvetici 15 (1): 350–352, doi:10.5169/seals-14897, MR0010730, Zbl 0028.15301, http://retro.seals.ch/digbib/en/view?rid=comahe-002:1942-1943:15::27 , available at the SEALS Portal. The English translation of the title reads as:-"About a theorem of Hartogs". In this work Severi gives his proof of the Hartogs' extension theorem.
• Severi, Francesco (1958) (in Italian), Lezioni sulle funzioni analitiche di più variabili complesse – Tenute nel 1956–57 all'Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica in Roma, Padova: CEDAM – Casa Editrice Dott. Antonio Milani, pp. XIV+255, Zbl 0094.28002 . Notes from a course held by Francesco Severi at the Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica (which at present bears his name), containing appendices of Enzo Martinelli, Giovanni Battista Rizza and Mario Benedicty. An English translation of the title reads as:-"Lectures on analytic functions of several complex variables – Lectured in 1956–57 at the Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica in Rome".
• Severi, Francesco (1971) (in various languages), Opere matematiche. Memorie e note Vol. I, Roma: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (distributed by Bardi Editore), pp. XLII+491, MR0701703, Zbl 0582.01027, http://www.bardieditore.com/scheda_libri.php?idcat=2&id_lib=12588 .His "Mathematical works, Memoirs and Notes": a collection of Francesco Severi's main scientific contribution with the exception of his published books, in a revised typographical form, both amending typographical errors and author's oversights and also adding the author's remarks to some papers. Volume I collects works published from 1900 to 1908.
• Severi, Francesco (1974) (in various languages), Opere matematiche. Memorie e note Vol. II, Roma: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (distributed by Bardi Editore), pp. 567, MR0701702, Zbl 0582.01027, http://www.bardieditore.com/scheda_libri.php?idcat=2&id_lib=12588 . His "Mathematical works, Memoirs and Notes": a collection of Francesco Severi's main scientific contribution with the exception of his published books, in a revised typographical form, both amending typographical errors and author's oversights and also adding the author's remarks to some papers. Volume II collects works published from 1909 to 1917.
• Severi, Francesco (1977) (in various languages), Opere matematiche. Memorie e note Vol. III, Roma: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (distributed by Bardi Editore), pp. 603, MR0701700, Zbl 0582.01027, http://www.bardieditore.com/scheda_libri.php?idcat=2&id_lib=12588 . His "Mathematical works, Memoirs and Notes": a collection of Francesco Severi's main scientific contribution with the exception of his published books, in a revised typographical form, both amending typographical errors and author's oversights and also adding the author's remarks to some papers. Volume III collects works published from 1918 to 1932.
• Severi, Francesco (1980) (in various languages), Opere matematiche. Memorie e note Vol. IV, Roma: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (distributed by Bardi Editore), pp. 603, MR0701701, Zbl 0582.01027, http://www.bardieditore.com/scheda_libri.php?idcat=2&id_lib=12588 . His "Mathematical works, Memoirs and Notes": a collection of Francesco Severi's main scientific contribution with the exception of his published books, in a revised typographical form, both amending typographical errors and author's oversights and also adding the author's remarks to some papers. Volume IV collects works published from 1933 to 1941.
• Severi, Francesco (1988) (in various languages), Opere matematiche. Memorie e note Vol. V, Roma: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (distributed by Bardi Editore), pp. 553, MR1030994, http://www.bardieditore.com/scheda_libri.php?idcat=2&id_lib=12588 . His "Mathematical works, Memoirs and Notes": a collection of Francesco Severi's main scientific contribution with the exception of his published books, in a revised typographical form, both amending typographical errors and author's oversights and also adding the author's remarks to some papers. Volume V collects works published from 1942 to 1948.
• Severi, Francesco (1989) (in various languages), Opere matematiche. Memorie e note Vol. VI, Roma: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (distributed by Bardi Editore), pp. 499, MR1030995, http://www.bardieditore.com/scheda_libri.php?idcat=2&id_lib=12588 . His "Mathematical works, Memoirs and Notes": a collection of Francesco Severi's main scientific contribution with the exception of his published books, in a revised typographical form, both amending typographical errors and author's oversights and also adding the author's remarks to some papers. Volume VI collects works published from 1949 to 1961.

See also

• Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica Francesco Severi
• Italian school of algebraic geometry
• Morera's theorem
• Néron–Severi group
• Pluriharmonic function
• Several complex variables
• Severi–Brauer variety

Biographical references

• Bompiani, Enrico (1962), "Necrologio di Francesco Severi" (in Italian), Bollettino della Unione Matematica Italiana, Serie 3, 17 (2): 243–246, Zbl 0100.24722, http://www.bdim.eu/item?id=BUMI_1962_3_17_2_217_0 
• Fichera, Gaetano (1995), "Tre battaglie perdute da tre grandi matematici italiani" (in Italian), Atti del convegno di studi in memoria di Giuseppe Gemignani. Modena, 20 maggio 1994, Collana di Studi dell'Accademia, 11, Modena: Enrico Mucchi Editore on behalf of the Accademia Nazionale di Scienze, Lettere e Arti di Modena, pp. 9–28, MRMR1385469 . This paper, included in the Proceedings of the Study Meeting in Memory of Giuseppe Gemignani, is an account of the failures of Vito Volterra, Leonida Tonelli and Francesco Severi, when dealing with particular research problems during their career. An English translation of the title reads as:-"Three battles lost by three great Italian mathematicians".
• Garnier, René (29 janvier 1962), "Notice nécrologique sur Francesco Severi" (in French), Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences 254: 777–782, Zbl 0115.24608, http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k3206x/f789 
• Jordan, C.; Poincaré, H.; Picard, E.; Appell, P.É.; Painleve, P.; Levy, M.; Darboux, J.G.; Boussinesq, J.V. et al. (2 decembré 1907), "Prix Bordin" (in French), Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences 145: 981–983, http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k3099v.image.r=Comptes+rendus+hebdomadaires+des+s%C3%A9ances+de+l.f981.pagination.langEN , available at Gallica. A detailed description of the Bordin prize winning work of Francesco Severi and Federigo Enriques.
• Julia, G. (4 octobre 1962), "La vie et l’oeuvre de Francesco Severi" (in French), Pontificia Academia Scientiarum Commentarii 1 (16): 1–12 .
• Moore, Clarence Lemuel Elisha (1908), "The fourth International Congress of Mathematicians", Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society 14 (10): 481–498, doi:10.1090/S0002-9904-1908-01656-2, http://www.ams.org/bull/1908-14-10/S0002-9904-1908-01656-2/home.html . A report of the fourth International Congress of Mathematicians with a short exposition of the motivation for the awarding of the Guccia medal to Severi.
• Noether, M.; Poincaré, H.; Segre, C. (1909), "Relazione del concorso internazionale per la «Medaglia Guccia»", in Castelnuovo, G. (in Italian), Atti del IV Congresso Internazionale dei Matematici (Roma 6–11 Aprile 1908), Proceedings of the ICMS, Vol. I, Roma: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, pp. 209–216, JFM 40.0046.05, http://www.mathunion.org/ICM/ICM1908.1/Main/icm1908.1.0209.0216.ocr.pdf . The relation by Max Noether, Henri Poincaré and Corrado Segre on the motivation for the awarding of the Guccia medal to Severi, read during the fourth International Congress of Mathematicians.
• Roth, L. (1963), "Francesco Severi", Journal of the London Mathematical Society, Second Series 38: 282–307, doi:10.1112/jlms/s1-38.1.282, ISSN 0024-6107, MR0157887, Zbl 0112.00314, http://jlms.oxfordjournals.org/content/s1-38/1/282.full.pdf .
• Zappa, Guido (1984), "La scuola matematica di Francesco Severi intorno al 1940 (The mathematical school of Francesco Severi around 1940)" (in Italian), Rivista di Matematica della Università di Parma, (4) 10^*: 11–14, MR0777309, Zbl 0562.01015 .

References

• Fichera, Gaetano (1995), "Tre battaglie perdute da tre grandi matematici italiani" (in Italian), Atti del convegno di studi in memoria di Giuseppe Gemignani. Modena, 20 maggio 1994, Collana di Studi dell'Accademia, 11, Modena: Enrico Mucchi Editore on behalf of the Accademia Nazionale di Scienze, Lettere e Arti di Modena, pp. 9–28, MR1385469 . This paper, included in the Proceedings of the Study Meeting in Memory of Giuseppe Gemignani, is an account of the failures of Vito Volterra, Leonida Tonelli and Francesco Severi, when dealing with particular research problems during their career. An English translation of the title reads as:-"Three battles lost by three great Italian mathematicians".
• Range, R. Michael (2002), "Extension phenomena in multidimensional complex analysis: correction of the historical record", the Mathematical Intelligencer 24 (2): 4–12, doi:10.1007/BF03024609, MR1907191, http://www.springerlink.com/content/nj2752n24373ln26/?p=0202e9664e7044b5803b6fac70cac403&pi=0 . An historical paper correcting some inexact historical statements in the theory of holomorphic functions of several variables, particularly concerning contributions of Gaetano Fichera and Francesco Severi.
• Range, R. Michael (2010), "Some landmarks in the history of the tangential Cauchy Riemann equations", Rendiconti di Matematica e delle Sue Applicazioni 30 (3–4): 275–283, MR2830305, Zbl pre05954009, http://www.mat.uniroma1.it/ricerca/rendiconti/2010%283-4%29/275-283.pdf . An historical paper exploring further the same topic previously dealt in the paper (Range 2002) by the same author.

External links

• AAVV, (Various Authors) (in English), Francesco Severi, http://math.unipa.it/~brig/sds/prima%20pagina/tirocinio/Severi%20Francesco.htm, retrieved June 27, 2010 : a very short biography of Severi, with a complete bibliography of his works, available at the "Geometria algebrica italiana (Italian algebraic geometry)" web site.
• O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F. (April 1997), "Francesco Severi", MacTutor History of Mathematics archive, University of St Andrews, http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Severi.html . Contains also 12 further references.
• Giuntini, S. (in Italian), Francesco Severi, Matematici italiani (biografie), http://www.dm.unito.it/sism/m_italiani/biografie/cronologie/severi.html, retrieved June 27, 2010 : a short résumé of his life available at the "Societa Italiana di Storia delle Matematiche".
• Guerraggio, Angelo; Nastasi, Pietro; Tricomi, Francesco (2008–2010), "Francesco Severi (1879 - 1961)" (in Italian), Edizione Nazionale Mathematica Italiana, Scuola Normale Superiore, http://mathematica.sns.it/autori/1238/ . Available from the Edizione Nazionale Mathematica Italiana.
• INdAM (in Italian), Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica "Francesco Severi", http://www.altamatematica.it/, retrieved June 26, 2011 . The web site of the institute Francesco Severi founded.
• Francesco Severi at the Mathematics Genealogy Project..