Gregorio Fontana

Gregorio Fontana ( born December 7, 1735 in Villa di Nogaredo at Rovereto; † August 24, 1803 in Milan ) was an Italian mathematician.

He was first a priest and teacher in religious houses in Rome, Bologna and Sinigalia. From 1763 he was professor of mathematics at the University of Pavia, succeeding Roger Joseph Boscovich. He translated several works (eg by Leonhard Euler ) from English and German into Italian. After his retirement in 1800 he lived until his death in Milan.

He is considered the founder of the polar coordinates. According to him, the so-called Fontana numbers are named. He was also involved in astronomy and mechanics and wrote several books, including on Analysis and its applications in physics ( Padua 1793).

In 1795 he was elected to the Royal Society in London. His brother was the physicist Felice Fontana ( 1730-1805 ).

• Mathematicians (18th century)
• Roman Catholic priest (18th century)
• Italian
• Born in 1735
• Died in 1803
• Man