Gustavo Colonnetti (8 November 1886 – 20 March 1968) was an Italian

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

and

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

who made important contributions to

continuum mechanics Continuum mechanics is a branch of mechanics that deals with the deformation of and transmission of forces through materials modeled as a ''continuous medium'' (also called a ''continuum'') rather than as discrete particles. Continuum mec ...

and

strength of materials Strength may refer to: Personal trait *Physical strength, as in people or animals *Character strengths like those listed in the Values in Action Inventory *The exercise of willpower Physics * Mechanical strength, the ability to withstand ...

. He was a Rector of the

Politecnico di Torino The Polytechnic University of Turin (, abbreviated as PoliTO) is the oldest Italian public technical university. The university offers several courses in the fields of Engineering, Architecture, Urban Planning and Industrial Design, and is consi ...

and President of CNR (

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. ...

). His theories found important applications in modern techniques of construction, such as pre-stressed concrete. He is remembered for Colonnetti's theorem (or Colonnetti's minimum principle) which states that in equilibrium the potential energy function is minimized.

Life

Honours

He was nominated member of the Pontificial Academy of Sciences on October 28, 1936. In 1947, during the first meeting of the RILEM in

Sorrento Sorrento ( , ; ; ) is a City status in Italy, city and overlooking the Gulf of Naples, Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the southern terminus of a main branch o ...

, he was elected the first president of the society, and began its mandate in 1948. The same year, on 27 August 1947, he was elected corresponding member of the

Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei The (; literally the "Academy of the Lynx-Eyed"), anglicised as the Lincean Academy, is one of the oldest and most prestigious European scientific institutions, located at the Palazzo Corsini on the Via della Lungara in Rome, Italy. Founded in ...

: nearly a year later, on 15 July 1948, he was elected full member.According to the 2012 yearbook, p. 438, of the Accademia dei Lincei.

Work

Research activity

Teaching activity

Selected publications

*. *. *

Notes

References

Biographical references

*. The "''Yearbook''" of the renowned Italian scientific institution, including an historical sketch of its history, the list of all past and present members as well as a wealth of information about its academic and scientific activities. *. *. The text of the address of Gaetano Fichera given on the occasion of the conferment of the laurea honoris causa in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

: he describes the history of the theory of elasticity detailing particularly the contributions of Italian scientists. *. A work dealing with the contributions of Gustavo Colonnetti and Arturo Danusso to the development of Italian engineering science, presented at the Second National Conference on the History of Engineering, organized by the Associazione Italiana di Storia dell'Ingegneria (A.I.S.I.), the Italian Association for the History of Engineering, and held in Napoli on April 7–8, 2008. *. *. The biographical entry about Gustavo Colonnetti in the "''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani'' (''Biographical Dictionary of Italians'')" section of the Enciclopedia Treccani. *

References describing his research work

* .

External links

Brief biographyGustavo Colonnetti e le origini dell'ingegneria in Italia, Fausto Giovannardi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colonnetti, Gustavo 1886 births 1968 deaths Scientists from Turin Members of the National Council (Italy) Italian civil engineers Italian mathematical physicists 19th-century Italian mathematicians 20th-century Italian mathematicians Engineers from Turin National Research Council (Italy) people