Jacopo Riccati
Encyclopedia
Jacopo Francesco Riccati (28 May 1676 – 15 April 1754) was an Italian
mathematician
, born in Venice
. He is now remembered for the Riccati equation
. He died in Treviso
in 1754.
. Then he entered the University of Padua
in 1693 to study law, and earning a doctorate in law (Ll.d.) in 1696. Encouraged by Stefano degli Angeli to pursue mathematics, he studied the then latest methods of mathematical analysis.
as president of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. He was also asked to Vienna
as an imperial councilor and was offered a professorship at the University of Padua
. He declined all these offers.
He was often consulted by the Senate of Venice on the construction of canals and dikes along rivers.
Montino Riccati and his mother was from the powerful Colonna family. His father died in 1686, when Riccati was only ten, leaving him quite wealthy.
Jacopo's son, Vincenzo Riccati
, a Jesuit, followed his father's footsteps and pioneered the development of hyperbolic functions.
A second son, Giordano Riccati
was the first to measure the ratio of Young's moduli of metals - predating the better known Thomas Young
by 25 years.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
, born in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. He is now remembered for the Riccati equation
Riccati equation
In mathematics, a Riccati equation is any ordinary differential equation that is quadratic in the unknown function. In other words, it is an equation of the form y' = q_0 + q_1 \, y + q_2 \, y^2...
. He died in Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
in 1754.
Education
He received his early education at the Jesuit school for the nobility in BresciaBrescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
. Then he entered the University of Padua
University of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
in 1693 to study law, and earning a doctorate in law (Ll.d.) in 1696. Encouraged by Stefano degli Angeli to pursue mathematics, he studied the then latest methods of mathematical analysis.
Career
He declined various academic offers, and devoted himself to his studies at home. Peter the Great invited him to RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
as president of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. He was also asked to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
as an imperial councilor and was offered a professorship at the University of Padua
University of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
. He declined all these offers.
He was often consulted by the Senate of Venice on the construction of canals and dikes along rivers.
Personal life
His father Ars Riccati came from a noble family who owned land near Venice. His father was the ConteConte
Conte is a title of Italian nobility used in Italy and other Catholic European countries. The female form is contessa...
Montino Riccati and his mother was from the powerful Colonna family. His father died in 1686, when Riccati was only ten, leaving him quite wealthy.
Jacopo's son, Vincenzo Riccati
Vincenzo Riccati
Vincenzo Riccati was an Italian mathematician and physicist. He was the brother of Giordano Riccati, and the second son of Jacopo Riccati....
, a Jesuit, followed his father's footsteps and pioneered the development of hyperbolic functions.
A second son, Giordano Riccati
Giordano Riccati
Giordano Riccati or Jordan Riccati was the first experimental mechanician to study material elastic moduli as we understand them today. His 1782 paper on determining the relative Young's moduli of steel and brass using flexural vibrations predated Thomas Young's 1807 paper on the subject of moduli...
was the first to measure the ratio of Young's moduli of metals - predating the better known Thomas Young
Thomas Young (scientist)
Thomas Young was an English polymath. He is famous for having partly deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics before Jean-François Champollion eventually expanded on his work...
by 25 years.