The Teaching of Applied Mechanics through Textbooks in Italy

Abstract

In this paper, the evolution of the teaching of Applied Mechanics in Italy is detailed. A particular point of view is considered, that is the textbooks published from the postwar period to the present day. In the educational process of a student, textbooks implicitly define the subject of study and are the reference book the student will keep throughout the career. Despite the foundations of Applied Mechanics date back to Renaissance, the way it is transmitted to students evolves over time, especially in the last fifty years. This study does not pretend to be complete but it correlates the main changes in the textbooks of Applied Mechanics to the historical changes in the Italian University system. An original classification is proposed to clustering publications that exhibit the same characteristic features. In particular, three “periods” are identified: the Masters (1945-1980), the Schools (1980-2000) and the Courses (2000-today). Each period is strictly correlated to significant reform of the Italian University system. It is stressed that the classification into the three proposed classes must be made based on the contents of the text and not purely on the date of publication.