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Problems of method in Levi-Civita’s contributions to hydrodynamics. (English) Zbl 1152.01010

This paper is on Levi-Civita’s influential contributions to hydrodynamics. His wake hypothesis led to a solution of D’Alembert’s paradox and enabled him to develop his analytical method. Levi-Civita also published on progressive permanent waves in a canal with a horizontal bed. The author discusses Levi-Civita’s work in this area including the work of his students. In Padua and after 1918 in Rome, Levi-Civita attracted students from many countries: Cisotti, Struik, Dubreil-Jacotin, Alexander Weinstein, Luigi Sante da Rios, Giuseppe Picciati and others. The author gives some special attention to the relation between Levi-Civita’s work and complex analysis and the then new theory of integral equations.

MSC:

01A60 History of mathematics in the 20th century
01A70 Biographies, obituaries, personalia, bibliographies
76-03 History of fluid mechanics
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