Luca Valerio (1553–1618) was an Italian mathematician. He developed ways to find volumes and

centers of gravity In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. This is the point to which a force may ...

of solid

bodies Bodies may refer to: * The plural of body * ''Bodies'' (2004 TV series), BBC television programme * Bodies (upcoming TV series), an upcoming British crime thriller limited series * "Bodies" (''Law & Order''), 2003 episode of ''Law & Order'' * ...

using the methods of

Archimedes Archimedes of Syracuse (;; ) was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor from the ancient city of Syracuse in Sicily. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists ...

. He corresponded with Galileo Galilei and was a member of the

Accademia dei Lincei The Accademia dei Lincei (; literally the "Academy of the Lynx-Eyed", but 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 Rom ...

Biography

Luca Valerio was born in Naples in 1553 He entered in the Jesuit order in 1570. He studied

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

and theology at the Roman College as a student of Christopher Clavius, and left the Jesuits in 1580. He later taught

rhetoric Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...

and Greek at the

Collegio Pontifico Greco The Pontifical Greek College of St. Athanasius ( it, Pontificio Collegio Greco di Sant’Atanasio, el, Ποντιφίκιο Ελληνικό Κολλέγιο Αγίου Αθανασίου) is a Roman Colleges, Pontifical College in Rome that obs ...

and mathematics and ethics at the Sapienza University of Rome. In 1611 Valerio obtained a position in the Vatican library in addition to his post at Sapienza giving him close connection with the top people in the Roman Catholic church.

Galileo and Copernicus

Valerio met Galileo on a visit to

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

in 1584. He corresponded with Galileo from 1609 until 1616 and in 1612 he became a member of the

, a group which also included Galileo as a member. On March 5, 1616

Cardinal Robert Bellarmine Robert Bellarmine, SJ ( it, Roberto Francesco Romolo Bellarmino; 4 October 1542 – 17 September 1621) was an Italian Jesuit and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was canonized a saint in 1930 and named Doctor of the Church, one of only 37. ...

, chief theologian of the Roman Catholic Church, issued a decree that the idea of a Sun centered Solar System, the Copernican system, a theory supported by Galileo, was ''false and erroneous''. The prospect of being called before the Inquisition caused Valerio to end all correspondence with Galileo and resign from the ''Accademia dei Lincei''. The members of the Academy looked on Valerio's actions as aligning himself with Galileo's opponents and accusing the Academy itself of committing a crime. His resignation was rejected by the Accademia, but they took away his right to participate in Accademia meetings. Federico Cesi, the Accademia dei Lincei's founder, still hoped however that Valerio could re-enter in the ranks of the academics, but the mathematician died in January 1618. «Among the mathematicians who studied him and spoke highly of him were

Cavalieri Cavalieri is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bonaventura Cavalieri (1598–1647), Italian mathematician * Caterina Cavalieri (1755–1801), Austrian opera soprano * Diego Cavalieri (born 1982), Brazilian footb ...

, Torricelli and J.-C. de la Faille. He also had a direct influence on Guldin, Gregorius Saint Vincent, and Tacquet.»Per Strømholm, Biography in ''Dictionary of Scientific Biography'' (New York 1970-1990).

Works

''Subtilium indagationum liber primus seu quadratura circuli et aliorum curvilineorum''
1582 * ''De centro gravitatis solidorum libri tres'', Rome 1604—Includes applying general methods to find volumes and centers of gravity of solid bodies. ** On line:
the 1661 edition

''Quadratura parabolae per simplex falsum''
Rome 1606

Notes and references

Bibliography

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External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Valerio, Luca 16th-century Italian mathematicians 17th-century Italian mathematicians Former Jesuits 1552 births 1618 deaths 16th-century Italian Jesuits Jesuit scientists Members of the Lincean Academy