Eduardo Renato Caianiello (June 25, 1921 – October 22, 1993) was an Italian

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

. He contributed to scientific research, especially in quantum theory and

cybernetics Cybernetics is the transdisciplinary study of circular causal processes such as feedback and recursion, where the effects of a system's actions (its outputs) return as inputs to that system, influencing subsequent action. It is concerned with ...

. He was also a pioneer in the theory of

neural networks A neural network is a group of interconnected units called neurons that send signals to one another. Neurons can be either Cell (biology), biological cells or signal pathways. While individual neurons are simple, many of them together in a netwo ...

. His Caianiello's equation formalized the theory of

Hebbian learning Hebbian theory is a neuropsychological theory claiming that an increase in synaptic efficacy arises from a presynaptic cell's repeated and persistent stimulation of a postsynaptic cell. It is an attempt to explain synaptic plasticity, the adaptat ...

. Caianello founded and directed the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the

University of Naples The University of Naples Federico II (; , ) is a public university, public research university in Naples, Campania, Italy. Established in 1224 and named after its founder, Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II, it is the oldest public, s ...

; the Laboratory of Cybernetics of the

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche The National Research Council (Italian: ''Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, CNR'') is the largest research council in Italy. As a public organisation, its remit is to support scientific and technological research. Its headquarters are in Rome. ...

at Arco Felice (Naples), the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of the

University of Salerno The University of Salerno () (in acronym UNISA) is a university located in Fisciano and in Baronissi, Italy. Its main campus is located in Fisciano while the Faculty of Medicine is located in Baronissi. It is organized in ten faculties. H ...

, the International Institute for Senior Scientific Studies (IIASS) at

Vietri sul Mare Vietri sul Mare is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Salerno, in the Italian region of Campania. It is situated just west of Salerno, separated from the Port of Salerno by only a harbour wall. The town is known for its polychrome ce ...

(Salerno) and the School of Specialization in Cyber and Physical Sciences. The name of the Hafnian was coined by Caianiello "to mark the fruitful period of stay in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

(Hafnia in Latin)."F. Guerra, in ''Imagination and Rigor: Essays on Eduardo R. Caianiello's Scientific Heritage'', edited by Settimo Termini, Springer Science & Business Media, 2006, page 98

References

20th-century Italian physicists Scientists from Naples 1921 births 1993 deaths Academic staff of the University of Salerno National Research Council (Italy) people {{Italy-physicist-stub