Emilio Spedicato was the first non-Chinese scholar to earn a PhD in a mathematical discipline from the Dalian University of Technology. A professor of operations research at the University of Bergamo, he has maintained an expansive career that balances specialized mathematical research with interdisciplinary inquiries into ancient history, celestial mechanics, and classical music.
Mathematical Education and Career
Born in 1945 in Milan, Spedicato attended the Liceo ginnasio statale Alessandro Manzoni, where he achieved the highest final exam score in northern Italy alongside Enrico Camporesi. He pursued physics at the University of Milan before embarking on an international academic journey. His professional experience includes a seven-year tenure starting in 1969 at CISE, a nuclear research facility near Milan. He also held positions at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom and Stanford University in the United States. He eventually joined the University of Bergamo, where he served as a professor of operations research and long-term director of the mathematics department.
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Spedicato spent a decade researching Quasi-Newton methods before developing the ABS methods, named for Abaffy, Broyden, and Spedicato. Initiated in 1981, this research program centers on rank-one reducing matrix iteration originally explored by Jenő Egerváry. Through international collaborations involving Chinese, Iranian, and Hungarian mathematicians, the project has generated over 400 papers and two monographs. These methods unify algorithms for linear systems and constrained optimization, provide memory-efficient alternatives to Newton's method, and offer new approaches to solving linear Diophantine equations and inequalities.
Interdisciplinary Research
Beyond pure mathematics, Spedicato applies optimization techniques to industrial challenges, such as reducing fuel consumption and emissions in vehicles for Alfa Romeo and Fiat. His research also extends into celestial mechanics, where he examines the impact of Earth's rotation axis inversion and proposes theories regarding the Moon's origin and historical catastrophic events. Furthermore, he explores ancient history, including the geography of Eden and the origins of the Etruscans. His musical research, influenced by contacts like Professor Taboga, focuses on operatic history and the figures of Mozart, Beethoven, and Puccini.
Fast facts
- Born: 1945, Milan, Italy
- Education: Liceo ginnasio statale Alessandro Manzoni, University of Milan
- PhD institution: Dalian University of Technology, China
- Primary affiliation: University of Bergamo
- Field: Operations research, Logic and Foundations
- Key mathematical contribution: ABS methods
Questions readers ask
What are ABS methods?
ABS methods are a class of algorithms for solving linear systems and optimization problems, based on the rank-one reducing matrix iteration developed by Jenő Egerváry.
What is the focus of Spedicato's historical research?
He investigates catastrophic events of extraterrestrial origin, the geography of ancient texts, and musicological studies related to the development of classical and operatic music.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Bergamo
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