Gustavo_Colonnetti

Gustavo Colonnetti (8 November 1886 – 20 March 1968) was an Italian mathematician and engineer who made important contributions to continuum mechanics and strength of materials. He was a Rector of the Politecnico di Torino and President of CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche). His theories found important applications in modern techniques of construction, such as pre-stressed concrete.He is remembered for Colonnetti's theorem (or Colonnetti's minimum principle) which states that in equilibrium the potential energy function W* is minimized.