This page is dedicated to Paolo Gronchi, a much beloved and respected member of the convex geometry community who passed away on July 4, 2024. He was only 58 years old and is survived by his wife Tatiana, his daughters Kenia and Raissa, his parents Divo and Anna, and his brother Marco. A very brief obituary note was posted by the UMI (Italian Mathematical Union). On October 15 to 17, 2026, the meeting Convex Geometry in Florence 2026 was held in honor of Paolo at the Palazzo Nonfinito in the center of Florence and afforded an opportunity to celebrate his character and mathematical achievements. It was made possible by the efforts of Paolo's closest colleagues and by the generous support of his parents, who have also funded a biennial award, the Paolo Gronchi prize, awarded to a young mathematician working in an area related to Paolo's research. There is a link below to a PowerPoint presentation I delivered on October 15, 2026, which attempts an overview of Paolo's career and his principal mathematical contributions. The talk was not recorded but the Word file in the second link below contains some explanatory notes.
I met Paolo in 1994 at the big convexity conference in Paris, but our first real conversation took place at the 1995 meeting in Cortona. I was standing between lectures outside the palazzone, enjoying the sun and beautiful view over the valley. Paolo, then a young man with black hair, approached and asked me some questions about convex bodies of constant brightness. Though he was speaking about mathematics, his eyes were twinkling with humor. This was the beginning of a long friendship and collaboration, every minute of which was a pleasure.
Paolo’s geometrical intuition was among the finest I have ever encountered. He was not only brilliant but incredibly quick, often able to find exactly the right idea to solve a problem within fifteen minutes. Paolo was very successful in his career, a success seemingly achieved without any great ambition or striving, but rather as a natural and relatively effortless consequence of his gifts. He was not at all the stereotypical dreamy, abstracted, absent-minded mathematician. On the contrary, he was always present in the moment, completely aware and attentive, reliable, punctual, and adept at everything he did.
Paolo applied these attributes and his rapid intelligence, with a rare selflessness and generosity of spirit, to any situation where they could be of use. Whether a student in need of help, a colleague asking a favor, or a secretary facing an administrative obstacle, Paolo would never say no. During visits to his department, I often saw for myself how Paolo’s students loved and respected him.
From 1995 to 2004, Paolo held a position at the Istituto di Analisi Globale ed Applicazioni, a research institute in Florence specializing in inverse problems, founded in 1980 by Carlo Pucci (1925-2003). Pucci had great trust in Paolo. As Pucci aged and became ill, Paolo spent a good deal of time helping him in various ways: getting money from the bank, printing documents in large font, listening to mathematical ideas, and even administering injections.
My own debt to Paolo goes far beyond mathematics and his vital contributions to the articles we wrote together. He spent many hours helping me find apartments to rent in Florence, obtained grant money for financial support, drove me often to and from work, and helped in countless ways to make visits to Florence pleasant and comfortable for me and my wife. Who did we turn to when we locked ourselves out of our apartment one Friday evening, or when we were unable to find a taxi to the airport at 5 am one Sunday morning? Paolo, of course!
Paolo was blessed with a constant good humor and positive attitude. I cannot remember him being particularly sad or annoyed, nor do I recall him speaking badly of others. He was always fun to be with. Wherever he went, people he met would soon be smiling or laughing. He led his life with an easy grace and charm. At the end, his calm in the face of the illness that took his life was deeply impressive and an indelible inspiration.
Paolo was an excellent mathematician but a truly extraordinary human being. Those of us fortunate enough to have known him will never forget him.
A Tribute to Paolo Gronchi (PowerPoint presentation)