Enrico Fermi: a little-known conference dating back to the early years of solid-state physics

TL;DR

This paper presents an English translation of a 1925 lecture by Enrico Fermi on the kinetic theory of solids, highlighting his early scientific insights and the level of physics education in Italy during the 1920s.

Contribution

It provides a rare translation of Fermi's early work, offering historical insight into his scientific development and the state of physics education in Italy in the 1920s.

Findings

Fermi's early work on the kinetic theory of solids

Insight into Italian physics education in the 1920s

Historical perspective on Fermi's scientific contributions

Abstract

In April 1925, Enrico Fermi was only 23 years old and he had graduated less than three years earlier. Despite his age, Fermi was invited at the University of Rome by Federigo Enriques to give several lectures on the recent advances in physics at the Italian Mathematics Seminar. Enriques was also the editor of "Periodico di Matematiche", an important Italian journal concerned primarily with secondary school math teachers. Some of the articles published by "Periodico di Matematiche" correspond to the lectures which Fermi gave during seminars and meetings of Italian mathematicians. Here we propose an English translation for one of these articles, entitled "Sopra la teoria cinetica dei corpi solidi" and discussing the kinetic theory of solids. We believe that this Fermi's work offers a twofold interesting perspective: on one side, it allows us to explore the problems related to the structure of matter of emerging at the time as seen by the eyes of a bright, young physicist. On the other hand, it shows us the undoubtedly high scientific level of the articles read in Italy by the secondary school math teachers in the Twenties.