Luigi Fantappié
was born in Viterbo on September 15th 1901. He attended the
University of Pisa and graduated with full marks in pure
mathematics on July 4th 1922. From 1922 to 1924 he worked in
several Universities abroad and in 1926 he was appointed in
Algebraical Analysis at the Universities of Florence and in 1927
in Infinitesimal Analysis at the University of Palermo.
In 1929 the
Italian Society for Sciences awarded him with the gold medal in
mathematics. In 1931 the Academy of Lincei awarded him with the
Royal Prize in mathematics, while the Italian Academy gave him
the Volta Prize.
From 1934 to 1939
he was in South America where he founded the Mathematical
Institute at the University of Sao Paulo (Brasil).
In 1939 ha was
appointed for Higher Analyses by the National Institute of
Higher Mathematics at the University of Rome (founded and
directed by Francesco Severi) of which he was vice President. He
died at Bagnaia (Viterbo) on July 28th 1956 when he was just 55
years old.
The scientific
work of Luigi Fantappié can be divided in three fundamental
stages:
a) from 1923 to
1941 he was interested mostly in the Theory of the Analytical
Functionals, which he created himself;
b) in 1942 he proposed
the Unified Theory linking Physical and Biological Worlds, which
he completed in 1947, introducing a new concept of “total
existence”, compatible with the relativity principles;
c) from 1952 he
developed the Theory of the Physical Universes, based upon the
Theory of Groups, and in 1954 he showed that the special theory
of relativity by Einstein was an extreme case of a more
perfected theory, the final relativity.
In details:
a) Theory of the
Analytical Functionals. Given the high technical character of
this theory, I will give here only a brief account of it. The
“functionals” were introduced by Vito Volterra, generalizing the
concept of function and extending from points to lines.
Fantappié started this research on functional analyses, with the
aim of applying to complex numbers Volterra’s concepts on
function lines. He extended to functionals the fundamental ideas
of Cauchy, Riemann and Weierstrass on analytical functions, thus
leading to the definition of “Analytical Functional”, that
allowed him to develop a new and genial theory, that made him
famous all over the world. One of the most important
applications of this theory is the explicit solution of some
important equations of physical mathematics, as the Laplace and
D’Alambert equations.
b) Unified Theory linking Physical and Biological Worlds. The
D’Alambert equation, describing wave propagation, allows only
tow kinds of solution, respectively represented by waves
diverging from a source and waves converging towards a source
situated in the future.
Diverging waves correspond to common physical and chemical
phenomena, produced by reproducible causes tending to levelling
(“entropic” phenomena).
Converging waves correspond to “syntropic” phenomena
(introduced by Fantappié), in contrast with the entropic
phenomema, i.e carried by non reproducible goals tending to
differentiation. These new phenomena are identified by Fantappié
with the most typical and mysterious phenomena of life.
c) Theory of the
Physical Universes. Starting from the simple idea that a
“Universe” is a system carried by laws valid for every observer,
it follows that a theory of possible Universes has to be based
on the concepts of groups. Thus, for example, classic physics is
based on the group of Galileo while the relativity physics on
the group of Lorentz, perfecting the previous one. In turn, the
group of Lorentz is perfectible in an univocal way in the “final
group”, introduced by Fantappié and to which corresponds the
“final relativity” that extends the special relativity on cosmic
scale.
GIUSEPPE ARCIDIACONO
Giuseppe Arcidiacono was
Fantappié’s favourite student.
The books
of
Luigi Fantappié, Giuseppe Arcidiacono and Salvatore
Arcidiacono are published by DI RENZO EDITORE.
