José Sebastião e Silva

José Sebastião e Silva (12 December 1914 in Mértola – 25 May 1972 in Lisbon) was a Portuguese mathematician who made contributions to functional analysis, distribution theory, and mathematical education. After graduating from the University of Lisbon in 1937 and earning his doctorate in 1949, he taught at the Instituto Superior de Agronomia before becoming Director of the Centre for Mathematical Studies at the University of Lisbon. Silva is particularly remembered for his influential approach to teaching calculus, which combined intuitive understanding with mathematical rigour, and for his co-authored textbook Compêndio de Álgebra that shaped mathematics education in Portugal for decades. His pedagogical methods emphasised introducing students to mathematical concepts through concrete examples before progressing to formal definitions.