Francesco Severi and mathematics teaching in secondary schools. Science, politics and schools in the first half of the twentieth century

Francesco Severi (Arezzo, 1879 – Rome, 1961) was, as is well known, a top-level mathematician who made very significant contributions in the field of algebraic geometry as well as in various other areas in mathematics, which earned him numerous prizes, recognitions and prestigious positions over the course of his career. Less well known are his activities in the field of mathematics education. In this paper we intend to illustrate this work, situating it within the framework of the political and institutional history of the first half of the twentieth century. The aspects we will consider are the following: the reasons which led Severi to become concerned with problems pertaining to mathematics teaching and the influence of Federigo Enriques; his brief involvement in the direction of the Associazione Mathesis, an association of mathematics teachers; his singular political path; his relationship with Fascism and the conflict with Enriques; his vision of mathematics teaching and its reflections in textbooks. Finally we will attempt to show how Severi’s approach to education is characterized by a core set of assumptions whose roots lie in the way of conceiving mathematical research that was common to the Italian School of algebraic geometry, and which constitute an further indicator of the appropriateness of the term “School” in speaking of the Italian geometers