Enrico Betti

Enrico Betti ( born October 21, 1823 in Pistoia / Tuscany; † August 11, 1892 in Soiana ) was an Italian mathematician and engineer.

He was best known for his 1871 published work on topology that led later to the ( by Henri Poincaré ) to named him Betti numbers. This work had a significant influence on the later work of Poincaré algebraic topology. He also dealt with algebraic equations and in particular the Galois theory that he was the first in rigorous mathematical form presented (from 1851). Some of his evidence, however, were later found to be defective. He also examined solutions of the quintic equation with elliptic functions.

Enrico Betti studied at the University of Pisa mathematics and physics. He graduated in mathematics in 1846 at Ottaviano Fabrizio Mossotti ( 1791 to 1863 ) and then became an assistant at the university. In 1849 he became a teacher in his hometown of Pistoia and then in Florence, before he became in 1857 professor of higher algebra at the University of Pisa. In 1858 he visited together with Francesco Brioschi and Felice Casorati the then leading mathematical centers in Europe, Paris, Berlin and Göttingen. On the journey he learned in Göttingen Riemann know and became friends with him. He invited Riemann later several times to Italy, which this because of his disease was gladly accepted, for example, he visited Betti 1863. 1859 he became professor of higher geometry and analysis in Pisa, where he was at times also rector and from 1864 director of the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, he made the leading mathematical research center in Italy. He was also active in educational reform and advocated the use of Euclid in the schools - with Brioschi he made ​​a new translation of. His later scientific work was in the field of applied mathematics (eg, theory of elasticity, potential theory ) instead of ( influenced by discussions with Riemann ), and accordingly he joined in 1864 as the successor of his teacher Mossotti as professor of theoretical physics and in 1870 to the chair of celestial mechanics. His Analysis Department took over Ulisse Dini.

Betti formulated the importance for the structural analysis set of Betti, in which it comes to the work of forces in static systems.

Betti enthusiastic, not least through the influence of his teacher and mentor Mossotti, in addition to the academic work, even for Italy's struggle for independence against Austria. He joined as a student Mossottis battalion and fought at his side in the battles of Curtatone and Montanara. Later, he was also active as a politician and in 1862 Italian MEP. In 1874 he was briefly Secretary of State in the Ministry of Education. In 1884 he became a senator.