He was born in Novara on 18 July 1856, the son of Giacomo Morera and Vittoria Unico.[2] According to Tricomi (1962), his family was a wealthy one, his father being a rich merchant. This occurrence eased him in his studies after the laurea:[3] however, he was an extraordinarily hard worker and he widely used this ability in his researches.[4] After studying in Turin he went to Pavia, Pisa and Leipzig: then he went back to Pavia for a brief period in 1885, and finally he went to Genova in 1886, living here for the next 15 years. While being in Genova he married his fellow-citizen Cesira Faà.[5] From 1901 on to his death he worked in Turin:[6] he died of pneumonia on 8 February 1909.[7]
In his commemorative papers, Carlo Somigliana describes extensively Morera's personality:[22] according to him, he was a devoted friend and precious colleague,[23] capable of serenely judging men and facts.[24] On the very personal level, he remembers him as a cheerful person and a witty talker.[25]
His intelligence is described as sharp and penetrating,[26] his mind as uncommonly lucid,[27] himself as possessing analytic and critical abilities and being versatile, capable to grasp and appreciate every kind of manifestation of the human intellect.[28] Nevertheless, Somigliana also states that he was not interested in any scientific or other kind of field outside of his own realm of expertise.[29]Morera (1889, p. 15) himself, in the inaugural address as the rector of the University of Genova, after quoting a statement attributed to Peter Guthrie Tait,[30] revealed the reason behind his views:[28] "In science, the one who has a sound and solid knowledge, even in a narrow field, holds a true strength and he can use it whenever he needs: the one who has only a superficial knowledge, however wide and striking, holds nothing, and indeed he often holds a weakness pushing him towards vanity".[31]
Acknowledged as honest, loyal and conscientious,[32] good-tempered and with a good intellect,[33] his simple manners earned him affection even when performing the duties of dean and rector at the University of Genoa.[34] Also Maggi (1910, p. 319) describes him as a man of high moral value, and ascribes to such qualities the reason of his success in social relations and in performing his duties as a civil servant.
However, despite being successful in social relations, he did not care for, nor appreciate, appearances and was not interested in activities other than teaching and doing research: consequently, he was not well known outside the circle of his family and relatives and the circle of his colleagues.[33] He did not make a display of himself, careless of not being acknowledged by everyone for his true value: he also had a serious conception of life and strongly disliked vanity and superficiality.[23]
According to Somigliana,[28] his entire life was devoted to the higher unselfish ideal of scientific research: and Maggi (1910, p. 319) also remarks that only his beloved family shared the same attentions and cares he reserved to his lifelong ideal.
Work
Research activity
Una quantità di quistioni egli chiarì, semplificò o perfezionò, portando quasi sempre il contributo di vedute ingegnose ed originali. Talchè la sua produzione scientifica può dirsi critica nel senso più largo e fecondo, cioè non-dedicata allo studio di minuziosi particolari, ma alla penetrazione e soluzione delle quistioni più difficili e complicate. Questa tendenza del suo ingegno si rivelò anche in un carattere esteriore di molte sue pubblicazioni, che egli presentò in forma di lavori brevi e concettosi; dei quali poi particolarmente si compiaceva, ed in conformità del suo carattere sincero, la sua compiacenza non-si tratteneva dal manifestare apertamente.[35]
According to Somigliana,[33] he was not particularly inventive: he did not create any new theory since this was not his main ability.[36] Instead, he perfected already developed theories:[37] nearly all of his researches appear as the natural result of a deep analysis work on theories that have already reached a high degree of perfection,[36] clearly and precisely exposed.[38] He had an exquisite sense for the applicability of his work, derived from his engineering studies,[39] and mastered perfectly all known branches of mathematical analysis and their mechanical and physical applications.[40]
He authored more than 60 research works: nearly complete lists of his publications are included in the commemorative papers (Somigliana 1910, pp. 581–583), (Somigliana 1910a, pp. 610–612) and (Maggi 1910, pp. 320–324). In particular Maggi (1910, pp. 320–324) classifies Morera's work by assigning each publication to particular research field: this classification is basically adopted in the following subsections.[41]
Maggi (1910, p. 322) classifies four of his works under the locution "Questioni varie di Analisi".[46]
Potential theory of harmonic functions
His contribution of this topics are classified by Maggi (1910, pp. 321–322) under two sections, named respectively "Fondamenti della teoria della funzione potenziale"[47] and "Attrazione dell'elissoide e funzioni armoniche ellissoidali".[48] The work Morera (1906) deals with the definition and properties of ellipsoidal harmonics and the related Lamé functions.
Rational mechanics and mathematical physics
Maggi (1910, pp. 322) includes in this class twelve works:[49] his first published work (Morera 1880) is included among them.
Varia: algebraic analysis and differential geometry
Morera, Giacinto (1889a), L'insegnamento delle scienze matematiche nelle Università Italiane [The teaching of mathematical sciences in Italian universities], Discorso inaugurale per l'anno accademico 1888–1889 della Reale Università di Genova (in Italian), Genova: Pietro Martini, p. 29. The inaugural address pronounced in occasion of the beginning of the academic year 1888–1889 at the University of Genoa, published in the form of a pamphlet.
Morera, Giacinto (1903–1904) [1901–1902], Lezioni di Meccanica razionale [Lectures on rational mechanics] (in Italian) (2nd ed.), Torino: Litografia G. Paris, p. 515.
^According to Fichera (1979, p. 14) and Somigliana (1909, p. 192), while not particularly inventive, he nevertheless approached many difficult questions, introducing original views that simplified considerably the theories he worked on.
^ abThere is a discrepancy between the statement of source (Somigliana 1909) and the ones of sources (Somigliana 1910), (Somigliana 1910a), (Tricomi 1962): the former one refers that he lived in Genova for 14 years, while the others quantify the duration of the same period as 15 years. The version of the second group of references has been adopted, also on considering that Vito Volterra went to Rome in 1901.
^"On the motion of a point attracted by two fixed centers according to Newton's law". Somigliana (1910, p. 573 and 1910a, p. 605) does not say if it was published as his first paper (Morera 1880): however, the title is the same and the dates nearly coincide.
^According to reference (Somigliana 1909, p. 191). Since Adolph Mayer and Felix Klein were teaching in universities outside Leipzig, it is not clear from the reference if the courses Morera attended to in Germany were privately held or were advanced university courses. Nevertheless, Somigliana (1910, p. 574) states precisely these dates, names and places, as does Maggi (1910, p. 318).
^Only Maggi (1910, p. 318) cites Kronecker as one of his teachers.
^According to Somigliana (1910a, p. 605). The "Scuola di Magistero", literally "Teaching School", was a particular University school aimed to the training of teachers.
^Maggi (1910, p. 317) states that the examination was "onorevolmente vinto" which literally means "won in honorable way", perhaps alluding to a honorable mention awarded to him by the examining commission.
^Precisely, according to (Somigliana 1910, p. 574) he served the University of Genova as dean for the periods 1891–1892 and 1896–1897, and as rector in the two years following his last dean mandate.
^"Higher Mechanics": the locution identifies an advanced course on rational mechanics.
^Cossa (1902, p. 252) also describes briefly his election ceremony to resident member, i.e. "socio residente".
^Somigliana (1909, p. 194) states that they were friends for more than twenty years and also colleagues from 1901 onward, talking about their scientific researches almost every day. In (Somigliana 1910) and (Somigliana 1910a) he complains about the pain of commemorating him, nevertheless aiming to do this in order to widespread the knowledge of his personality and work.
^Somigliana (1910, p. 575) goes further stating also that "(nella sua mente) non-trovavano mai posto idee vaghe o incomplete" (English translation: "(in is his mind) confused and incomplete ideas did not find any place").
^This was a consequence of his particular opinions, again according to Somigliana (1910, p.580; 1910a, p. 610): he excluded, and almost feared, everything not being classifiable as complete strictly scientific knowledge.
^"Schivate la scienza popolare, essa è tanto più perniciosa, quanto più pretenziosi sono quelli che la diffondono" (English translation: "Beware of popular science, it is as much as pernicious, as pretentious are the ones who spread it"), as also reported by Somigliana (1910, p. 580; 1910a, p. 610).
^The exact words of Morera (1889, p. 15) are:-"Nella scienza chi ha cognizioni salde e profonde, in un campo anche ristretto, possiede una vera forza e all'uopo sa giovarsene; chi invece ha solo cognizioni superficiali, anche molto estese ed appariscenti, possiede nulla, anzi spesso ha in sè un elemento di debolezza, che lo sospinge alla vanità".
^(English translation) "He cleared, simplified or perfected, a number of questions, bringing almost always the (personal) contribution of ingenious and original views. Therefore his scientific production can be defined a critical review in the wider, prolific sense, not aimed to the study of minutious particulars, but to the deep understanding and solution of the most difficult and complex questions. This tendency of his skill revealed itself in the formal character of many of his publications, that he presented in the form of brief, pregnant works; he was particularly satisfied of them, and according to his sincere nature, he did not refrain to manifest his satisfaction frankly".
^According to Somigliana (1909, p. 194), his first university studies were in the field of engineering, as briefly detailed in the "Education and academic career" subsection of this entry.
^However, Maggi's terminology is not strictly followed: a modern terminology is used when needed in order to ease the comprehension.
^According to Maggi (1910, p. 321)'s classification, these works belong to "analytic function theory" i.e. "Teoria delle funzioni analitiche".
^According to Somigliana (1910, p. 578) himself, "Tipiche fra quelle sue numerose note, brevi e concettose, sono alcune che riguardano la definizione di variabile complessa", i.e. (English translation) "Typical examples of his numerous brief and pregnant notes, are some dealing with the definition of a complex variable".
^Burckel (1979, p. 188) gives a short account of the history of the theorem, and refers also to the later paper (Morera 1902). There Morera defines holomorphic functions using his theorem, and then derives some interesting consequences.
^He precisely names this section "Equazioni della Dinamica, equazioni alle derivate parziali del primo ordine ed equazioni ai differenziali totali".
^An English translation reads as:-"Various topics in mathematical analysis".
^Literally, "fundamentals of the theory of the potential function" (Maggi 1910, p. 321).
^He classifies those works exactly as "Questioni varie di Meccanica e di Fisica matematica (Various topics in Mechanics and Mathematical Physics)" (Maggi 1910, p. 321).
The references listed in this section contain mainly biographical information on the life of Giacinto Morera.
Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (2012), Annuario dell'Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei 2012 – CDX dalla Sua Fondazione(PDF) (in Italian), Roma: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, p. 734, archived from the original(PDF) on 4 March 2016, retrieved 11 September 2012. 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 informations about its academic and scientific activities.
Tricomi, G. F. (1962), "Giacinto Morera", Matematici italiani del primo secolo dello stato unitario [Italian mathematicians of the first century of the unitary state], Memorie dell'Accademia delle Scienze di Torino. Classe di Scienze fisiche matematiche e naturali. Serie IV (in Italian), vol. I, p. 120, Zbl0132.24405, archived from the original on 4 March 2016, retrieved 12 March 2015. A collection of biographical notes on Italian mathematicians who worked in Italy from 1861 up to 1960. Its content is available from the website of the Società Italiana di Storia delle Matematiche.
General references
The references listed in this section are mainly commemorations or surveys giving information on the life or Morera but also describing his scientific researches in some detail.
Fichera, Gaetano (1979), "Il contributo italiano alla teoria matematica dell'elasticità" [the Italian contribution to the mathematical theory of elasticity], Rendiconti del Circolo Matematico di Palermo, Serie II (in Italian), XXVIII (1): 5–26, doi:10.1007/BF02849579, MR0564544, S2CID122003599, Zbl0433.73002. "The Italian contribution to the mathematical theory of elasticity" is a survey paper describing the Italian contributions to the field of elasticity, including brief sketches of the biographies of the main scientists involved.
Somigliana, Carlo (1910a), "Commemorazione del Socio nazionale prof. Giacinto Morera", Rendiconti della Reale Accademia dei Lincei, Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche, Naturali, Serie V (in Italian), 19 (1): 604–612, JFM41.0023.05.
Scientific references
The references listed in this section describe particular aspect of Morera's scientific work or survey his scientific contribution to a given field.
Comitato Nazionale per il IV Centenario della Fondazione dell'Accademia dei Lincei (1603–2003) (2002), Ritratti. Giacinto Morera (in Italian), retrieved 3 July 2010{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link).