Gabriele Veneziano
active c. 1942, Florence, Italy
Italian theoretical physicist who proposed the Veneziano amplitude in 1968, an important early step toward modern string theory.
Born in Florence, Veneziano studied physics at the University of Florence and completed his doctorate in Israel. He carried out research at the Weizmann Institute and later joined CERN, working on particle physics and models of the strong interaction.
In 1968 he recognized that Euler's beta function could describe hadron scattering amplitudes; the expression became known as the Veneziano amplitude. Its later interpretation in terms of vibrating strings opened a path toward string theory, although the original model predated the establishment of quantum chromodynamics.
Workplaces: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, CERN, Geneva, Collège de France, Paris
Italy