About Carlo Cercignani
Lived 1939 – 2010 (aged 70). Carlo Cercignani was an Italian mathematician and physicist.
Carlo Cercignani (17 June 1939 in Teulada – 7 January 2010 in Milan) was an Italian mathematician known for his work on the kinetic theory of gases. His contributions to the study of Boltzmann's equation include the proof of the H-theorem for polyatomic gases. The Cercignani conjecture is named after him.
Cercignani's conjecture is "sometimes true and always almost true", as proved by the Fields medalist mathematician Cédric Villani.
He is the author of several monographs and more than 300 papers in kinetic theory, as well as of a biography of Boltzmann. Cercignani was member of the French Academy of Sciences and of the Accademia dei Lincei. He received the Humboldt Prize in 1994.
Selected publications
Kinetic theory
History of science
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Carlo Cercignani?
Italian physicist and mathematician (1939–2010)
When was Carlo Cercignani born?
Carlo Cercignani was born on 17 June 1939 in Teulada.
When did Carlo Cercignani die?
Carlo Cercignani died on 7 January 2010 in Milan.
What was Carlo Cercignani's occupation?
Carlo Cercignani was a mathematician and physicist.
What nationality was Carlo Cercignani?
Carlo Cercignani was Italian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Carlo Cercignani. https://biography.guide/carlo-cercignani/
MLA: "Carlo Cercignani." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/carlo-cercignani/.
Chicago: "Carlo Cercignani." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/carlo-cercignani/.
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