BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Alberto González Domínguez (1904 ... - IAM

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Alberto González Domínguez (1904-1982)
Professor Alberto González Domínguez has dedicated most of his life to think in Mathematics
and many other areas of knowledge, as well as to teach and create a school of mathematics in
Argentina.
His work on Mathematical Analysis and Theoretical Physics includes the following fields:
Distributions and its applications to quantum field theory; Boundary behavior of analytic
functions, representation of functions by Fourier integrals, Laplace integrals and orthogonal
series; Mathematical theory of linear systems and Theory of probability. His work includes 88
Research Papers, 45 Scientific Dissertations, Specialized Articles and Published Courses, 20
Communications at congresses, and 29 Articles, Dissertations and Speeches on Divulgation of
Science and Culture.
His papers on Mathematical Analysis and Theoretical Physics have been incorporated or quoted
in famous books and publications. Some of his papers were incorporated in the book of G.
Doetsch, “Handbuch der Laplace Transformation”, Birkhauser, 1950; and in the book of Antoni
Zygmund, “Trigonometrical series”, Cambridge University Press, 1959; and his papers were
quoted in other well known books such us: K. Noshiro, “Cluster sets”, Springer, Berlin, 1960; A.
H. Zemanian “Generalized Integral Transformations”, Interscience, New York, 1968; E. R. Speer,
“Generalized Feymann amplitudes”, Princeton University Press, United States, 1969; S. Colombo
y J. Lavoine, “Transformation de Laplace et de Mellin”, Gauhtier Villars, Paris, 1972; P. Antosik,
Jan Mikusinski y R. Sicorsky, “Theory of distributions, The sequential approach”, Elsevier
Scientific Publishers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1973; Tri T. Ha, “Theory and applications of
J-contractive real rational matrices”, Fairchild Space & Electronics Co., Maryland, United States,
1977; Elemer E. Rosinger, “Distributions and non linear differential equations”, Springer-Verlag,
Berlin, 1978; D. S. Jones, “Infinite Integrals and Convolution”, The University Dundee, Great
Britain, 1979; E. E. Rosinger, “Non linear differential equations. Sequential and weak solutions”,
North Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, Holland, 1980; and in the book of M.
Oberguggenberger “Multiplication of distributions and applications to partial differential
equations”, Longman Scientific & Technical, England, copublished in the United States with
John Wiley & Sons. (1992).
The papers of González Domínguez have been quoted in papers of distinguished mathematicians
and physicists. Besides those already mentionede, it is worthwile to mention H. Berens, R. P.
Boas, C. G. Bollini, P. Breitenlohner, P. L. Butzer, R. Doss, B. Fisher, J. J. Giambiagi, M. Heins,
F. Holland, K. Keller, Olli Lehto, G. Leibrandt, J. Mikusinski, H. Mitter, W. Oberdorster, Makuto
Ohtuska, N. Ortner, H. Pollard, W. Rudin, J. A. Shoat, J. D. Tamarkin, G. t’Hooft, M. Veltman y
D. W. Widder, among others.
Since 1933 he worked at the “Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales” of the University
of Buenos Aires, Argentina and at the National Research Council of Argentina with the purpose
of promoting the study and research of high mathematics in the country. He also worked in some
of the most important universities of the United States and France.
González Domínguez was Emeritus Professor at the University of Buenos Aires; Researcher,
“Clase Superior”, National Research Council of Argentina; Founder and Director of the
Argentine Mathematical Institute (IAM) of the National Research Council of Argentina (1973-
1982); Professor of Mathematics of the University of Hawaii, United States; “Visiting Research
Mathematician” at the University of California, Berkeley, United States; Visiting Professor at the
1

University of California, Los Angeles, United States; Visiting Professor at the University of
Illinois, Chicago Circle Campus, United States; Visiting Professor at the University of Chicago,
United States; Dean of the Division of Physical Sciences (“Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas
y Naturales”) of the University of Buenos Aires; Director of the Department of Mathematics,
University of Buenos Aires; 1957-1966; Director, since its foundation, in 1979, of the UNESCO
Regional Mathematical Center for Latin America; Honorary Professor. School of High Studies of
the Ministry of the Army (“Escuela Superior Técnica del Ministerio de Ejército”); Member of the
Directorate of the National Atomic Energy Commission, Argentina; Head, Division of
Mathematics, National Atomic Energy Commission, Argentina; worked for a second time in Paris
in the theory of distributions (Schwartz’ Seminar) and gave conferences at the “Henri Poincaré”
Institute, la Sorbonne during 1958-1959. During this period he also delivered conferences at the
Department of Mathematics, University of Montpellier; worked in Paris on problems related with
the theory of distributions and its applications to quantum physics (Schwartz and De Broglie
Seminars) and delivered conferences at the “Henri Poincaré” Institute of “la Sorbonne” (1954-
1955); worked with Professor Dr. J. Tamarkin on problems related with the theory of Fourier
integrals at Brown University, United States, and at the Institute of Advance Studies at Princeton
University, United States.
González Domínguez received a number of honors, awards and distinctions, the he never seeked,
as for instance: Member of the National Academy of Sciences, Buenos Aires (Argentina);
Corresponding member of the “Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales de
Madrid” (Spain); Corresponding member of the “Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas
y Naturales de Lima” (Peru); Honorary Member of the “Unión Matemática Argentina”; “Laurel
de Plata” awarded by the “Ateneo Rotario”, Argentina; Volume in his honor of the Journal of the
“Unión Matemática Argentina”, with articles of eminent mathematicians; Member of the “Orden
de las Palmas Académicas”; distinction awarded by the French Government, 1964; he received
the following awards in Argentina: “Consagración Nacional” (1978), “Concejo Deliberante de la
Ciudad de Buenos Aires” (1969), “Sociedad Científica Argentina” (1968), “Abraham Mibashan”,
awarded by the National Research Council, Argentina (1960), First National Science Award,
Argentina (1950).
He was also Founding Member of the “Unión Matemática Argentina”, Member of the Editorial
committee of the American Mathematical Society and Advances of Mathematics (United States),
Council Member of the Argentine Association for the Progress of Sciences (Asociación
Argentina para el Progreso de las Ciencias), Member of the Argentine Scientific Society
(Sociedad Científica Argentina), Member of the Commission on Mathematics, Physics and
Astronomy of the National Research Council, Argentina, Council Member of the “Argentinean
Mathematics Olympiad” of the Ministry of Education, Member of the Inter-American Committee
for the Teaching of Mathematics and several times President of the “Unión Matemática
Argentina”.
Participated in many congresses and simposia in Argentina, in the United States (where in
particular was Organizer Member of the First Congress of Mathematicians, held at Harvard
University, 1950), France, Spain, Holland, the Soviet Union, Colombia, Uruguay, Sweden and
Israel and other countries. He was an admiror since the 1930’s of the extraordinary an
unparalleled development of high mathematics in the United States, of the French and Soviet
Union mathematicians and also of the scientific progress in Israel, topics on which he wrote
articles and delivered dissertations.
Great speaker and writer, González Domínguez delivered frequent speeches and wrote many
scientific articles on Mathematical Analysis and Theoretical Physics in academies, universities
2

and research centers of Argentina, France, Spain and the United States. And published some of
his courses in Argentina and the United States. González Domínguez also dedicated time to write
articles and dissertations on divulgation of science and culture in Argentina, Spain, Colombia and
Brazil.
Don Julio Rey Pastor, although he was not his teacher of mathematics “strictu sensu”, was the
person that inspired him to dedicate his life to Mathematics since the early 1930’s. González
Domínguez was his main close collaborator in Argentina, as it was the case of Professor Don
Ricardo San Juan in Spain, since Rey Pastor worked both in Argentina and in Spain.
At the University of Buenos Aires, in particular, he was the person that most contributed to the
organization and establishment of a Departament of Matematics of international level, that did not
existed in Argentina. To promote the study and research of mathematics in the country he
mantained close contacts with many of the most distinguished mathematicians of the world in his
field. He also promoted and was able to invite to Argentina the following Professors: Marshall
Stone, Antoni Zygmund, Alberto P. Calderón, Beppo Levi, A. Kolmogorov, Harold Hotelling,
Stephen Vagi, Makoto Ito, Laurent Schwartz, J. J. Kohn, J. A. E. Dieudonné, Adrian A. Albert,
James Douglas, Charles Ehresmann, Theodore W. Gamelin, Warren Ambrose, and other
outstanding mathematicians who contributed to the development of high mathematics in
Argentina.
In order to modify in a radical manner the research of mathematics in Argentina, González
Domínguez started, at the beginning of the 1940’s, to introduce the study of Fourier integrals,
providing a fundamental step for mathematical research in the country. Later during his career
introduced also the study of many fields of modern mathematics, especially of Mathematical
Analysis and Quantum Physics, as his constant friend and colleague, the famous mathematician
Dr. Luis A. Santaló introduced in the country the study of modern Geometry.
As a master he had a fundamental influence in Argentinean mathematics. At the start of his
carreer González Domínguez discovered the mathematical talent of his young student Alberto P.
Calderón, of whom he was his first teacher and afterwards colleague and intimate dear friend
along his life. Professor Alberto P. Calderón became one of the most famous mathematicians of
the world of the second half of the XX century. Calderón collaborated extraordinarily, maily from
the United States working at the University of Chicago and at the M.I.T (Massachussetts Institute
of Technology) to the mathematical formation of the students graduated from the Department of
Mathematics of the University of Buenos Aires.
González Domínguez had a vision of a great master finding the mathematical talent, teaching and
inspiring several young students that became very distinguished mathematicians and physicists.
Such is the case of his admired and dear friend Ing. Roque Scarfiello and Dr. Juan. J. Giambiagi,
with whom he worked many years and published a number of papers. Later he was also a teacher
and doctoral dissertation director of a younger generation of future distinguished mathematicians,
with some of whom he wrote a number of papers: Dr. Calixto P. Calderón, Dr. Osvaldo Capri,
Dra. Margarita Carppa, Dra. Elsa Cortina, Dr. Carlos A. D’Atellis, Dra. Graciela Gnavi, Dr. Félix
E. Herrera, y Dra. Susana Elena Trione. He had also and important influence in the formation that
almost all mathematicians graduated at the University of Buenos Aires since 1961.
González Domínguez was not only a Mathematician and a Physicist, he was also Philologist and
a man of broad culture that knew deeply Philosophy, Linguistics, Grammar, Literature and many
areas of knowledge. He studied classic languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Sanscrit) and the
manifestations of the spirit that they serve as a mean of expression. He also studied and mastered
3

14 languages, including the classics already mentioned, “esperanto”, and nine modern languages.
He had the passion of literature and read the classic in their original languages. His weaknesses
were Baudelaire, Rimbaud and French poetry, German philosophy, Shakespeare, Chesterton,
Wilde, Poe, Pushkin, Manuel Machado, Valle-Inclán, Quevedo, Góngora, Cervantes, Borges and
Ungaretti, if a list could be done among so many writers the he admired, read and reread.
In his office at the Argentine Mathematics Institute he had the verse XXVI of Jorge Manrique “A
la muerte del maestre de Santiago, don Rodrigo Manrique, su padre”:
“¡Qué amigo de sus amigos!
¡Qué señor para criados
Y parientes!
¡Qué enemigo de enemigos!
¡Qué Maestre de esforçados
Y valientes!
¡Qué seso para discretos!
¡Qué gracia para donosos!
¡Qué razón!
¡Cuán benigno a los sujetos!
Y a los bravos e dañosos
¡Que león!”
And this brief verse of the notable Jorge Manrique describes the way Alberto González
Domínguez saw and lived his life.
4