On the eve of the Italian National Mathematics Day – “Pi Greco Day,” celebrated on March 14, Silvia De Toffoli, philosopher of mathematics at IUSS Pavia, was a guest on the radio program Radio3 Scienza (Rai Radio3) in the episode titled “Le castagne del matematico” (“The Mathematician’s Chestnuts”), dedicated to the life and scientific legacy of Giuseppe Peano.

The episode draws inspiration from the memories of writer Lalla Romano, who in the 1920s stayed as a young girl in the Turin home of her great-uncle and great-aunt. Her mother’s uncle was none other than Giuseppe Peano, one of the most important Italian mathematicians, best known for formulating Peano’s axioms, which provide the rigorous foundation for the natural numbers.

During the broadcast, the discussion focused on the fundamental role of Peano’s axioms in the development of modern mathematics and logic, reflecting on how these ideas continue to influence contemporary research on the foundations of mathematics.

The episode, hosted by Roberta Fulci, also featured the historian of mathematics Angelo Guerraggio. In the opening segment, astrophysicist Gianluca Masi introduced the traditional Messier Marathon, during which amateur astronomers attempt to observe all 110 objects in the famous catalogue compiled by the French astronomer Charles Messier.

🎧 The full episode can be listened to here: https://www.raiplaysound.it/audio/2026/03/Radio3-Scienza-del-13032026-7bc4272f-1bd7-4d82-953b-5b9504c83cff.html 

L’episodio del 13 marzo 2026 – “Le castagne del matematico” è disponibile sulla piattaforma RaiPlay Sound.