Luigi Fantappiè and his students at the FFCL

autonomy and professionalization of mathematics in São Paulo

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to describe the strategies and practical measures adopted by Luigi Fantappiè, member of the Italian Mission that took part in the organization of both the mathematics and physics departments of the University of São Paulo, in the 1930s, in order to begin training teachers and researchers in mathematics in a way that was different and autonomous from engineering courses. Our work is based mainly on the report delivered by Fantappiè to the director of the Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Literature (FFCL) in upon his return to Italy in 1939, also sent to the Italian government. The summary of his activities is here analyzed in comparison with interviews given by his students years after the establishment of the FFCL, and with official documents from the University of São Paulo in the 1930s. The general picture gained from this analysis is that the professionalization of mathematics and its autonomy from engineering was not achieved in an abrupt way, when the University was established, but was the result of a long and conflicting process of which Fantappiè was a key figure.