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This paper investigates Italy's and Germany's intended participation in key 1940 events in mathematics and the dynamics involved.

June 20, 2026

Mediation and menace: Italy's envisaged participation in the cancelled 1940 International Congress of Mathematicians

Key Points

This paper investigates Italy's and Germany's intended participation in key 1940 events in mathematics and the dynamics involved.
Analyzes historical documentation related to the planned congresses in 1940 and 1939.
Reconstructs the interactions and motivations of the Italian, German, and American mathematicians involved.
Highlights the influence of academic rivalries on the participation of Italy and Germany in international mathematics events.
Describes the competitive atmosphere among research institutions in Italy during this period.

Abstract

To determine participation of the Italian and German delegations in the International Congress of Mathematicians (1940) and that of the German and American delegations in the IX Volta Conference (1939), the mathematicians of these three countries were to engage in a series of stress-tests of scientific diplomacy. The paper offers the reconstruction of what went on behind-the-scenes of these two non-events, focusing in particular on the plot of academic opportunism and rivalry between individuals and research institutions that characterized Italian mathematics in those years.

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