Corrado segre and his disciples: The construction of an international identity for the italian school of algebraic geometry

Abstract

It is well known that the construction of an identity for the Italian School of Algebraic Geometry directed by C. Segre was the result of a complex dynamic of scientific exchanges with the international mathematical community. In particular, Felix Klein was a reference interlocutor for Segre, Fano, Enriques and Castelnuovo, and he exerted a notable influence on mathematical studies, on the teaching of mathematics, on publishing activity, and on the organization of cultural and academic life. In this paper, in light of the correspondence that Segre carried on with Italian and foreign colleagues, we will illustrate the international relationships of the Italian School of Algebraic Geometry in the period of formation (1883–1891). Further, through the reconstruction of Segre’s partnerships with American scholars, we will show how he took on the role of a ‘Maestro a distanza’ or ‘distance Maestro’, for foreign geometers up to the first years of 20th century. From these letters and other archival sources there will emerge the cosmopolite features of the research activities pursued by the Segre’s team, the diffusion of Italian geometric methods and results abroad, as well as some aspects of the biography of Segre, related to his institutional, political and editorial committment.