4-36. Giovanni Battista Guccia

Giovanni Battista Guccia (1855–1914) was born to a wealthy and titled family in Palermo. He obtained a degree in mechanics and construction from the Technical Institute of Palermo in 1873, and matriculated the following year at the University of Palermo, in the faculty of mathematics, physics, and natural sciences. He transferred in 1875 to the University of Rome, where he took classes from Pietro Blaserna, Giuseppe Battaglini and Luigi Cremona. On 20 December, 1880, Guccia defended his thesis on algebraic surfaces in $E^{3}$ at the University of Rome under Cremona’s direction, entitled “Sopra una classe di superficie rappresentabili punto per punto in un piano”.

Guccia led the foundation in 1884 of the Circolo matematico di Palermo, for which he served as treasurer, and to which he let rooms (rent-free) in his spacious private residence in Palermo, known as the Palazzo Guccia. Mathematicians and scientists from the university joined the Circolo, smoothing the way for Guccia to be assigned to teach a course in geometry in 1887. He was named extraordinary professor of geometry in 1889, and became a full professor in Palermo in 1894. After 1895, his research publications became infrequent.

Guccia’s real talent was in developing the Circolo into one of the leading mathematical societies. Establishment of a journal, the Rendiconti del Circolo matematico di Palermo, was instrumental to this development. Guccia served as chief editor of the Rendiconti from 1888, and it is in this role that he entertained an extensive correspondence with Poincaré, extending from 1888 to 1912. Poincaré was first elected to the board of the Circolo on 18 January, 1891.

Time-stamp: "16.10.2023 18:44"

Notes

• 1 On Guccia’s life and career in mathematics, see Bongiorno and Curbera (2018).
• 2 Lebon (1912, 18). On the history of the Circolo, and Poincaré’s role in its development, see Brigaglia and Masotto (1982); Bongiorno and Curbera (2018). The development of mathematics in Sicily during this period is discussed by Tazzioli (2018).