Vincenzo Brunacci (3 March 1768 – 16 June 1818) 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 ...
born in
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
infinitesimal calculus
Calculus is the mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape, and algebra is the study of generalizations of arithmetic operations.
Originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of ...
) in
Pavia
Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086.
The city was a major polit ...
He studied medicine, astronomy and mathematics at the
University of Pisa
The University of Pisa (, UniPi) is a public university, public research university in Pisa, Italy. Founded in 1343, it is one of the oldest universities in Europe. Together with Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and Sant'Anna School of Advanced S ...
. In 1788 he earned his
laurea
In Italy, the ''laurea'' is the main post-secondary academic degree. The name originally referred literally to the laurel wreath, since ancient times a sign of honor and now worn by Italian students right after their official graduation ceremo ...
and the same year he started teaching mathematics at the Naval Institute of
Livorno
Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...
. In 1796, when Napoleon entered Italy, he endorsed the new order. Upon the reinstatement of the Austrian rule, he moved to France between 1799 and 1800. On returning he attained a chair at the
University of Pisa
The University of Pisa (, UniPi) is a public university, public research university in Pisa, Italy. Founded in 1343, it is one of the oldest universities in Europe. Together with Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and Sant'Anna School of Advanced S ...
. In 1801 he moved to the
University of Pavia
The University of Pavia (, UNIPV or ''Università di Pavia''; ) is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. There was evidence of teaching as early as 1361, making it one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest un ...
with the office of professor of infinitesimal calculus and become its dean.
Brunacci believed that Lagrange's approach, developed in the "Théorie des fonctions analytiques", was the correct one and that the infinitesimal concept was to be banned from analysis and mechanics. In Brunacci's university teaching infinitesimal calculus differently from Lagrange's principles was even prohibited as a rule. Brunacci passed his idea of analysis on to his students, among which Fabrizio Ottaviano Mossotti, Gabrio Piola and Antonio Bordoni.
He cooperated with the public administration, in 1805 he was in the Committee for the Naviglio Pavese (Pavia Canal) project and the following year as inspector of Waters and Roads.
In 1809 he joined the Committee for the new measurements and weights system and from 1811 he was inspector general of Public Education for the entire Italian Kingdom.
He died in
Pavia
Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086.
The city was a major polit ...
in 1818.
Writings
* ''Opuscolo analitico'', (1792).
* ''Calcolo integrale delle equazioni lineari'', (1798).
* ''Corso di matematica sublime'', in four volumes, Firenze, (1804–1807).
* ''Elementi di algebra e di geometria'', in two volumes, Firenze, (1809).
* ''Trattato dell'ariete idraulico'', (1810).
*
*
Brunacci, Vincenzo – Trattato di navigazione, 1817 – BEIC 12149896.jpg, ''Trattato di navigazione'', 1817